tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88431500321172533042023-11-16T13:17:27.797-05:00Consciousness of a runner. Things that make me go hmmm. The good the bad and the ugly StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-5642923186822362762013-03-13T23:01:00.000-04:002013-03-13T23:03:25.908-04:00The Vine of the Soul...Back in 2002 when I was traveling in Europe I had a guide from Belgium that spoke nine languages and when she wasn't traveling through Europe in the summer she was doing the same through South America in the winter. Since that time it has been a goal of mine to make it to South America. Back then I didn't really have a reason other then it would make a epic trip. In early 2011, I started watching Ancient Aliens and I became a obsessed with Peru. Then in August 2011, I listened to Aubrey Marcus on the Joe Rogan Experience as he explained his experience in the Amazon with an Ayahuasca Shaman. I was mesmerized as he detailed his account of his journey with the visionary plant medicine. From that point my goal of traveling to Machu Picchu was put on hold and my focus switched to having a vision quest in the Amazon Jungle.<br />
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Now my vision quest is becoming a reality. On April 1, I will journey to Peru and I will be heading into the Amazon to attend a 12 day <a href="http://templeofthewayoflight.com/">Shipibo Ayahuasca retreat in Iquitos, Peru</a>. In the weeks leading up to my departure I will be documenting my preparation for this journey. StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-58576195386361421132013-02-14T19:47:00.001-05:002013-02-14T19:47:14.608-05:00February 14, Traveling MusicCreedence Clearwater Revival "Traveling Band"<br />
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Mos Def & DJ Honda "Travelin' Man"<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p2YUDZZV6H8" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Vinnie Paz "Cheesesteaks"<br />
Only fitting when you fly into Philly!<br />
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Hank III "Atlantic City" - In honor of Friday nights adventure<br />
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Pryda "SW4" -Eric Prydz AC Friday Night!!!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wtbwJOngfUY" width="560"></iframe>StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-16241629771530621152013-02-12T19:00:00.000-05:002013-02-12T22:31:50.947-05:00Life's Soundtrack : February 13Life's Soundtrack : Music for your journey. AllDay.<br />
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Lightin' Hopkins "Life I used to Live"
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Bob Marley "It Alright"<br />
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Led Zepplin "Traveling Riverside Blues"<br />
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The Black Keys "Goodbye Babylon"<br />
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<br />StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-39604505979683519982013-01-23T17:11:00.002-05:002013-01-24T09:47:44.482-05:00San Diego Trail Marathon This past Saturday I returned to racing, completing the first ever San Diego Trail Marathon at the San Dieguito River Park hosted by <a href="http://offroadpursuits.com/">Off Road Pursuits</a>. The Marathon was being held in conjunction with the San Diego 50 mile and the marathon course was run over much of the same route as the Lake Hodges 50k in reverse, with the start/finish being at the turn around of the 50k. The goal was to run as comfortable as possible for as long as possible and remember that I was using this race as an opportunity to log long miles and practice fueling. As I did in 2012 my plan is to run some early marathons in preparation for ultra races that I have planned later in the year.<br />
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The morning of the race I got up at 5 and had a smoothie (consisting of pear, banana, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, sweet potatoes, C20 Coconut Water and a scoop and <a href="http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/products/whey_protein/pure_whey">SFH Chocolate Whey Protein</a>), a Bonk Breaker Bar and a Tbs. of <a href="http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/products/omega_3-oil/so3_super_omega-3_oil_10oz">SFH S03 Omega 3 Oil</a>. I grabbed my gear bag and a pre-made bottle of<a href="http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/products/endurance_line/endurance_in_race"> SFH In-Race formula</a> and headed to the race. I was stoked that the race was close and that I was pretty familiar with the course.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">I purposely restricted my warm up to calisthenics</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> and drills so that I wouldn't be tempted to run to hard to early. I did just enough to be warm and feel good running at the start. After a few words from race director Paul Jesse about the aid stations and the course markings we got going. I started my feed timer on my watch and off we went. Since Noble Canyon I've only been racing with a feed timer, no running time or gps. I've found that this has been a key to my improved racing over the longer distances as it allows my to focus on how I feel and nothing else. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Once we got rolling I settled into 8th place and stayed there until the first climb of the course, Raptor Ridge. When I hit the base of the Raptor I began my climbing mantra "your climbing better then most" and one by one I started to catch a few of the runners that had been in front of me. As I rolled in to the first aid station I had moved from 8th into 5th. Since I was carrying my SFH in my bottle I grabbed to cup of water before heading out of the first aid station. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">For most of the race I ran Darren Rentch, a beast of an Ironman Triathlete from the East Coast running his first trail marathon and through the middle miles we stayed in 5th keeping 4th in our sites. As we entered what I thought was the second aid station (10 miles) I grabbed a cup a water and the nice girl at the table kindly told us that it wasn't the 10 mile mark. Bummer... I thought for a second, but judging by how many times my feed timer had gone off and being on a course I was familiar with I knew it couldn't be much further up the road. Sure enough a few more minutes up the road and we were at the 10 mile mark. Since we had already stopped for water we rolled through the aid station. As we made our way to the turn around we passed the 4th and 3rd place runners and now it was only a matter of time until we got to see how the first two runners looked as they were heading for home. I saw first place Igor Campos and he looked strong as did second place Damian Rodriquez. With trail racing it can be deceiving judging runners, especially if your climbing and they're bombing a descent but in this instance they both looked strong and I figured it we would be holding 3rd place until the finish.</span></div>
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When we hit the turn around I grabbed a cup of water and a cup of Rocket Fuel (coke the liquid kind of course) and off we went with 13.1 to go. I know coke isn't the cleanest fuel but it works and never seems to upset my stomach when I race. The plan was to negative spilt and since the legs were still feeling fresh I upped the pace to see what I had in me. We started rolling and after the race Darren noted that we were running in the 6:30's on a few of the flatter sections. Even though I knew I could handle the rest of the race without fuel I continued to fuel every 15 minutes with my SFH In-Race. We rolled into the final aid station at the bottom of Raptor, I was feeling content with the pace and was prepared to run rest of the way at a similar clip. </div>
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I had finished my SFH and decide to grab another Rocket Fuel before hitting the climb. The final aid station was manned by fellow ultra runners and neighborhood training partners <a href="http://dirtyrunning.blogspot.com/">Dax Ross</a>, Chris Sigel and Cory Chapman they told us "2nd looked like he was hurting a bit and was 3-4 minutes up the trail." Hearing that Darren said "We're getting him! I know you want to take it easy but were getting him!" With that, the switch was flipped and I decided to see what I had in me over the final miles. No sooner did I start the climb did Every Single Day come on the iPod. </div>
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At this point I was climbing like a man possessed hell bent on pushing myself to the limit, grinding until the wheels came off. From Raptor Ridge until the finish a ran solo using my mantras whenever my my would wander or tell me to ease up. When I got to the finish I was pleasantly surprised to see the clock at <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=18074">3:15:47</a>. It was a great day on the trails and the weather was awesome, a great reminder as to why I live in San Diego. Finishing the SD Trail Marathon has left me hungry and excited for the 2013 race schedule! Many thanks to RD Paul Jesse for putting on another epic event with Off Road Pursuits. I'd also like to thank all the volunteers at all the aid stations for making the race such an unbelievable experience. Here's to another epic year of racing! StopMe<br />
<br />StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-31867770598368414032012-12-24T14:46:00.002-05:002012-12-24T14:46:27.038-05:00Training 12/17 - 12/23Monday: Strength : Pull up 5 x 5, Single Arm Row 5 x 10, Step up 2 x 20, Bent over row (straight bar) 5 x 15, Sit up 5 x 25 (circuit style not for time)<br />
Run : 1 mile warm up, 800 in's & out's (Progressive straight away, walk the turn), Technique Drills. 10 x 100 meter run with 100 meter walking recovery. 1 mile cool down & stretch.<br />
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Tuesday: Strength : Press 5 x 5, 65# - 5 x's 10 DB Hang Power Clean, 10 DB Front Squat, 10 DB Push Press @ 25#<br />
Run : 4.5 miles along the coast in Encinitas<br />
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Wednesday: 1h:43m ride, from Encinitas to San Marcos<br />
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Thursday: Strength : Deadlift (DE) 4 EMOM for 7:00 @ 135# - 3 x's 80m Farmer Carry w. 40# DB, 20 Step up 24", 20 KB Swing 53#<br />
Run: 48:00 on the coast in Encinitas, the running legs are coming back, felt good to run again. knee pain was minor. Running slow hurts, simple run faster!<br />
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Friday: Strength Front Squat : 5 x 5 @ 155# then Tabata (8x :20/:10) Airdyne rest 4 minutes, Bottom to Top Squat resting in the bottom position.<br />
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Saturday: Run : Track 10 x 200 in :36-:34 (fast running = no knee pain)<br />
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Sunday: 1h:00m run around Encinitas Ranch (2.2 mile loop in reverse)<br />
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All in all it was a good week. I know my body will thank me down the road but after three weeks off from running I felt pretty shitty running those first few runs. Glad to be back on it and look forward to the SD Trail Marathon at the end of Jan. The plan is to use it as a hard long run but you know how the goes once you toe the line and the gun is fired. My self control will be tested. Another good opportunity to practice race fueling. Merry Christmas and here's to a healthy, happy productive 2013!StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-68124750766437188672012-12-16T17:24:00.002-05:002012-12-16T17:24:39.513-05:00Training week of 12/10-12/16With a slight pain in the left knee still, I decide to hold off one more week before resuming run training. I figure with the racing I'm planning on for 2013 there's no need to rush back into training. This also allows me to focus more on strength training as 2012 closes out.<br />
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Monday: 90+ minute spin through the hills of San Marcos<br />
Strength: 5 x 20 Russian KB Swing 53# w. 1:30 rest, 5 x 15 Goblet Squat 53# w. 1:30 rest, 5 x 10 Bulgarian Bag Shoulder to Spin (5l/5r) 36# w. 1:00 rest, 5 x 5 Good Morning w. Bulgarian Bag 36# w. 1:00 rest.<br />
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Tuesday: Strength only DB Press 5-5-5-5-5 (35# set 1-3, 40 set 4 & 5) rest 5 minutes then, 10:00 AMRAP 10 KB Swing(russian), 10 Burpee, 10 Sit Up (first Met-Con in months) 6 rounds + 3 KBSwing. <br />
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Wednesday: 1:40 Ride through Encinitas into Rancho Santa Fe and back. Tough climbs in these parts. Stretch and ice.<br />
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Thursday: Strength : Back to basics Deadlift 5 x 5 @ 155 (first time pulling from the floor since late September or early October).<br />
Conditioning: AirDyne Max Cal 10 x :30/:30 (still trying to wrap my head around 300 cal in 10:00. How people average 424 watts for 10:00 is unimaginable right now. Some day!)<br />
Yoga: Yoga Tropics in Encinitas 60 minutes Warm.<br />
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Friday: Strength : Thruster (DE) 65# 4 EMOM for 8:00 then 3 rounds 10 Wall Ball 18#, 15 Slam Ball C & J, 20 Push up (hand release)<br />
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Saturday: Rest Day<br />
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Sunday: 2:05 Ride through Encinitas into San Elijo, lots of climbing fueled by the soothing sounds of Hi-Fi Mystery School. Definitely felt my knee on some of the steeper climbs today.<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lL142t6vvIA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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All in all it was a solid week of training but after three weeks of from running I'm certainly ready to start logging some miles again. StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-43613765850575276302012-12-11T15:36:00.005-05:002012-12-11T15:36:43.844-05:00December is for down time.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that the 2012 racing season is over for me, it's time to circle the wagons, regroup, rebuild and gear up for the 2013 season. After a complete week of rest, post Quad Dipsea I returned to training with a week of light strength work and cycling. Now into my third week of no running I've upped the intensity of the strength training (Mon, Tue - Thu, Fri) while keeping the time in the saddle about the same (90 minutes every other day). The goal through December is to rebuild my body and regain strength lost during the last four months of volume training and racing three ultra marathons. Training and racing really came together in 2012 and although some of the races with be different in 2013 I'm going to use the same template to prepare as I did in 2012. </div>
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Early in the year the focus will be strength and speed specific with lots of focus on heavy lifts and track work with shorter races on the calendar. As the season progress strength training will transition to Max Effort Black Box approach as well as an increase in volume of my running and the distance of my races. Finally as race day gets closer on the calendar, strength training will transition into maintenance phase and run training will be very event specific for two months leading in to the start on priority race number 1.</div>
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Priority race number 1 will come in July, when I take another crack at running the <a href="http://20in24.com/donation-form.html?kwoAdvocateId=62PXKM7">20in24 Lone Ranger</a>, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The 2011, 20in24 was my first attempt at ultra marathoning. 84.5 miles in 19+ hours, falling short of my goal of either running 100 miles or completing 24 hours. Falling short of those goals has stayed with me ever since, so close yet so, so far away. The need for redemption at the 20in24 burns even more then it did for NC50K or the QD. Even though both those races broke me I still managed to finish them. The 20in24 forced me into submission after the 10th, 8.4 mile loop. This years event I will have an added bonus of having my brother as my partner in crime. Though thick and thin we've been through it all and now were going to run to hell and back, with a smile on our face the whole time.</div>
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<br />StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-63643147917011218252012-12-05T13:30:00.001-05:002012-12-05T14:50:31.663-05:00Mantra: Are you present?<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my Quad Dipsea race report, I touched briefly on how I used my mantras to keep me present throughout the race. Simple put a Mantra is a sound, syllable, word or phrase that is considered capable of creating transformation. Mantra origins can be traced back to India and the Hindu traditions and is commonly practiced by Buddhist and others.</div>
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When I first started doing this in 2010, I couldn't believe how well it worked. Some of my first mantras were phrases like "don't force, don't chase" and "smooth is fast". Over and over for miles upon miles these simple things would quiet the voice in my head that told me to slow down because I was hurting.</div>
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I've had several mantras since, some worked better then others and some have been more spiritual then others. Because of the success of using mantras during races, I now find myself using them on a day to day basis. If my thoughts begin to wander to events of the past or to dreams of the future I refocus on the present by repeating my mantra until my head clears and I'm satisfied that I've returned to the present. To often it becomes easy to think about good/bad times of the past or to day dream about plans for the future but the only thing that matters is the here and the now. When you're thinking about the past or the future you're not focused on the present and if you're not present your missing out. Life's to short to be missing out. Find you Mantra, stay present and do epic shit! After all; If not now? Then when? StopMe<br />
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Currently I've been using a phrase I picked up from Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh; I have arrived. I am home. In the here. In the now. I am solid. I am free. In the ultimate I dwell.</div>
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<br />StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-42181283024326483262012-12-03T11:52:00.000-05:002012-12-03T11:52:08.074-05:00RunningWOD @ Gunx CFThis past weekend I ventured back to the East Coast for my final RunningWOD Clinic of 2012. On Saturday I spent the afternoon at <a href="http://gunxcrossfit.typepad.com/">Gunx CF</a> in Gardiner, NY teaching run technique to a dedicated mix of endurance athletes and crossfitters. The gym had ample indoor space for drills and allowed use(me) to stay warm! As we worked through the drills it was great to see the athletes movement patterns improve. It's never a quick fix or an overnight process and I reminded the group that the drills are something that I still practice on a regular basis. I usually incorporate the drills into my warm up for interval work and other harder efforts. Remember Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. -Vince Lombardi<div>
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Contact RichAirey@gmail.com to schedule a RunningWOD clinic in 2013</div>
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StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-18536586775522018392012-11-28T17:14:00.002-05:002012-11-29T13:48:07.643-05:00Quad Dipsea 20122012 was my year for redemption at the Quad Dipsea. No matter how crazy it has been at some points, my focus on the Dipsea trail never swayed. Training had gone great leading up to the race; early in the year the focus was racing at shorter distances(In February I even ran an indoor 1600 finishing in 4:47). May, June and July I ran Marathons as my long runs, finishing all three in just over 3:00. The focus there was controlled hard running and fueling. In August I ramped up the milage and added some back to back long days with a good deal of climbing on the legs. During the final tune up I ran 50k's in September and October. One with a good deal of climbing the other flat and fast. My training log over the last three months can be found at <a href="http://runningwod.com/">RunningWOD</a>. This also includes my strength training as well.<br />
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All was good until Thursday morning. I was finishing up my run and with less the 400m to go my right calf cramped. I immediately stopped and walked back to my car. As the anxiety started to set in all I could think was, is this it?!? All this build up down the drain, am I going to have to tell everyone the Dipsea didn't happen? When I got home I immediately downed a bottle of water and doubled up on the <a href="http://nuun.com/">Nuun</a> and went to work with the foam roller and the peanut. This has happened to me before and it's put me out for a few days, so to say I was panicking was a huge understatement but I tried not to think about it and enjoy Thanksgiving. </div>
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When I woke up Friday morning my calf was still tight but mentally I felt better heading to the airport. I was stoked to be flying Virgin America and I highly recommend it if you have the opportunity! After landing and checking in to my hotel I headed to Old Mill Park to check out the start and the infamous steps. I walked the steps, all 684 of them, hung out at the top to enjoy the sunset, take some pictures and thought about what tomorrow had in store. My confidence was a little rattled but I knew if my calf held up it was going to be a good day. </div>
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Saturday arrived and after I picked up my number I started my warm up. 5 minutes into my warm up I felt a slight twinge in my calf but tried not to focus on it. I tried to relax and zone out to my music. From my run I transitioned in to my dynamic movement drills being careful not to over do it and with 20 minutes to gun time I said to myself stop thinking about it and just go until you can't go anymore. With that it was out of my head and I headed to the car to gear up and hit the bathroom one last time before the start.</div>
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The Quad is a race like no other, it offers some of the most challenging terrain I ever run but it also has some of the most amazing, awe inspiring views I've ever laid my eyes on. The race starts and within 200 meters you hit a wall of steps that is so long you can't even see the top. As we hit the steps I over heard a spectator cheer for the runner next to me and his response was, "they can run the steps all they want." That runner ended up being Runner Up Justin Morejohn. I agreed and decided there was no need to smoke myself within the first two minutes of a 28.4 mile race. Once I had hiked the 684 steps I began my journey to Stinson Beach. I had an overall memory of the course and a few select gnarly sections burned in my brain but for the most part didn't remember much course from last year. All I remembered was that it was extremely difficult and when I crossed the line I was a broken man. Knowing I was better prepared I still played it cautious during the first half of the race. As we hit the first descent I heard footsteps rapidly approaching I moved to the side of the trail and three runners blew past me putting 100 meters into me in less the ten seconds. At that moment I had two thoughts 1. How do people run that fast downhill without killing themselves and 2. I'll see you again as we climb to the top of Cardiac. It was still very early in the race and the most important thing I've learned over the years is that first and for most it's a race against yourself. Once you start racing someone else's race your dead in the water. Too many times I've ruined races by racing others and not myself. I race my best when I block everything out and battle myself. </div>
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As it turns out I'm much better at going up then I am at going down and as we hit the base making our way up Hogsback I began to use my mantras. My mantras are quick and simple things that I say to myself to keep me focused and present. I use them so my mind doesn't wonder and to stay positive as the climbs gets steeper or when it has no end in site. They keep me moving forward and when your running an ultra, moving forward is the name of the game. The first one I used was "I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am something divine." Over and over I repeat this to myself, step after step. A lot of times this does the trick, I stay focused, I stay positive and I get to the top. At races like Noble Canyon or at the QD when the climbing can be relentless I pull out the big guns. When I'm really hurting I picture my brother Jim (my pit crew) cheering for me saying over and over "you're climbing better then most Dawg!" In the past, at times when I have tended to be negative, it's always my brother that helps me see the positivity of any situation and it's at those points on a climb when it can be so easy to get down on yourself, I use this. </div>
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As I suspected by the time I had reached the top of Cardiac I had moved past the runners that had passed me early and sure enough as we ran down into Stinson they eventually caught and passed me again. It was still early and the steps on the back side of the course are way more gnarly then the steps at the start and again, they disappeared into the forest in front of me. When I reached the turn around I was in fifth, I handed off my bottle to one of the volunteers for a refill and mixed my <a href="http://SFH./">SFH</a>*. I was feeling good, took a deep breath and headed back towards Mill Valley. It's tough to say which direction is more difficult, both are equally challenging and the climbs are step. I continued on with my strategy of walking the steep sections of steps and used my mantras when I was running on the climbs. I moved up to fourth on climb back to the aid station at Cardiac but by the time I had returned to Mill Creek Park and made the turn to start the second out and back I had slipped back to sixth place. </div>
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I refilled my bottle and headed back up the Dipsea Steps, again I walked. Once at the top of steps I set my sight on getting to the aid station at 18.7 miles, focusing on my own race knowing that if I kept moving forward I was pretty sure I would catch the guys that passed me on the downhills. One of the cool things I had noticed was the feeling of the pine needles under my feet as ran through the wooded sections and even though I was suffering on the climbs, I was enjoying myself. I had moved into fifth and I was pretty sure my mantra of "you're climbing better then most Dawg" was on point and true as entered the aid station. </div>
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A while back I read <a href="http://notallergictoadventure.blogspot.com/">Sabrina Moran's</a> blog (about her 24 American Record) where she had waited until 17 hours before she allowed herself to used her ipod and since last year I was over my ipod 10 minutes into the race I decided I would hold off until the later portion of the race. Once I hit the aid station, I refilled my bottle and decided now was the time for some music. I had just suffered over the highest point of the course and had a good stretch to push the pace before the steps and then the turn for the final 7+ miles. If there was ever a time for a little musical fuel injection now was the time. I made sure I put some effort into my playlist but didn't arrange the songs in any particular order. However I did make sure that this was the first song I would hear.</div>
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As I hit play and headed to Stinson I was once again reminded that my pit crew is always with me and new I was good to go! To the beach I went.</div>
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It might have been the music but I honestly felt like I was bombing the descents much like the runners that danced away from me early on in the race. As I got closer to the turn I saw the leader and eventual winner Brett Rivers, this time he was all alone out front, smiling as he headed back to the finish. Justin Morejohn had moved into second and the third place runner at the time looked like he was hurting pretty bad. As we passed each other on the trail I smelled blood and when I hit the aid station at Stinson I told myself "you can get third if you run this last 7"</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">My strategy on the way home was simple </span>hammer<span class="Apple-style-span"> on the runnable sections, hike up the steep sections of steps and use my mantras to get up and over the climbs as efficiently as possible. As I climbed back up out of Stinson Beach I had third and fourth in my sights as I got closer to entering the woods. By the time I hit the steps I had caught fourth and each time I got to a level section a ran to the next section of steps trying to time into fifth place. The wooded section heading back up to Mt Tamp is something out of a movie it's the most epic running I've ever encountered. Even though steps there are ridiculously hard I was feeling good and was making ground on third. Shortly after I saw third place walking on one of the switchbacks and again "you're climbing better then most Dawg" gave me the push I needed to move into third. When I arrived at the aid station at mile 23.7, I new the worst was behind me. I knew I still had to roll in order to maintain third but I had a long descent I could bomb and one climb that was minor compared to what I had already done.</span></div>
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When I handed my bottle to a volunteer for a refill he said, "you look great, you're in third. second place has a sprained ankle and was limping pretty bad and first place fell and hurt his shoulder." I said really? No way your F*ck!ng with me!?! He smiled and said "yup!" Traditionally something that would have caused a WTF Dick!, reaction but those negative vibes don't do anyone any good. I smiled grabbed my bottle mixed my SFH and took off running. As I left the aid station this shot into my ears and I blasted off for the finished, determined to get a podium finish. </div>
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Descending down Cardiac I was completely focused on moving forward using my matras and the music to push as hard as I could. With just my feed timer going off every 15 minutes* and mile marks(which I wasn't looking for) on the course I had no idea of my time or or the distance covered or remaining. Not having my GPS allows me to run on feel rather then worry about what sort of pace I'm running or what pace I think I should be running. If your racing for results pace is irrelevant. If you finish with a good placing your going to be stoked and any improvement in time is an added bonus. With that being said when I passed the 3 mile mark I knew I had less then 30 minutes of hard running ahead of me. <br />
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With 3 to go my only concern that I was putting enough time into Greg Benson in fourth, so that I could avoid almost killing myself again on the steps at the finish. Last year I fell, holding off the runner behind me on the Dipsea steps 400 meters from the finish. When I hit the steps I gave a quick look back to make sure I was in the clear. At that moment I was sure third was mine and I had secured a spot on the podium! With one hand I the rail I did my best to get down the steps as quickly and safely as possible. I hit the road and crossed the bridge finishing with a little fist pump checking the clock as I crossed the line.</div>
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When it was all said and done I had finished 3rd place over all running 4:41:57. Mission accomplished! I moved up from my 18th place finish in 5:04 from 2011. <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-O4Ag4L2yQc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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*As I mentioned early I only ran with a feed timer that had set to remind me every 15 minutes to fuel and hydrate. For fuel I used <a href="http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/products/endurance_line/endurance_in_race">Stronger Faster Healthier</a> In-Race formula Lime flavor. Every 15 minutes I would take in 4-6 oz. of fuel and carried additional single serv. packets with me in my race pack to refill at the aid stations. SFH has been my go to fuel source for all my marathons and ultras in 2012 (3 marathons and 3 ultras) 170 miles of racing fueled on protein and fat!<br />
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Here's the Track from my play list and the order they play from Mile 18.7 until I finished<br />
1. My Brother the Gun - Mariachi El Bronx<br />
2. Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust<br />
3. The Night Out - Martin Solveig<br />
4 Kick Out The Jams - MC5<br />
5. Time Will Tell - Bob Marley & The Wailers<br />
6. Recipe For Hate - Bad Religion<br />
7. Trip (Teen Daze Remix) p Vacationer<br />
8. Pyramid - John Dahlback<br />
9. Bigger Than Kiss - Teenage Bottlerocket<br />
10. Fire In Your New Shoes (feat Dragonette) Kaskade<br />
11. Now is the Time (2020 Soundsystem remix) Layo & Bushwacks<br />
12. In a Big Country - Big Country<br />
13. Fu-Gee-La - The Fugees<br />
14. Broken English - Rise Against<br />
15. Vicarious - Tool<br />
16. Cold On The Ceiling - The Black Keys<br />
17. Nutshell (Live) - Alice in Chains<br />
18. Next Girl - The Black Keys<br />
19. Hard Times - Cro-Mags<br />
20. Percolator (Claude VonStroke Remix) - Cajmere<br />
21. We Found Love (feat Calvin Harris) - Rihanna<br />
22. I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys<br />
23 Paper Wings - Rise Against<br />
24. Your Worst Mistake - Strung Out<br />
25. Beautiful People (feat. Benny Benassi) Chris BrownStopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-4203822648343671572012-08-24T00:46:00.000-04:002012-08-25T00:10:43.855-04:00I Love CampYup It's true I'm a running geek and every summer I go to running camp. I've been to camp as a camper, a counselor, a guest speaker and finally as a coach. Now, not all of these adventures have taken place at the same camp but as a coach I've spent most of my time at <a href="http://www.runningworks.com/camps.html">RunningWorks</a> Cross Country Camp which calls <a href="http://www.canadensis.com/">Camp Canadensis</a> it's home once a week every August since 99'. Camp Directors Marcus O'Sullivan, Cricket Batz-Shaklee and Steve Shaklee assemble an amazing group of athletes and coaches every year to which I am honored to be included. It's such an amazing experience, I still go even though I've been living in California for the last two installments of RunningWorks. Like I said I love Camp, always have always will. With the exception of the food (which was a shock in 90 as Freshman at Colt Camp, I've been prepared ever since)it's the best week of the year. All you have to do is show up and train hard for 6 days. Nothing else really matters, it's about being in the moment completely focused on the task at hand.
Since becoming involved at RunningWorks I become know as the "strength guy."<br />
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As the "strength guy" every morning after breakfast I present an hour long talk on the benefits of strength training for cross country runners. As runners our training needs to be specific, and in order to be a better runner you need to run, plain and simple. With that being said supplemental strength training can help young runners improve by leaps and bounds. I decided to keep the talk simple focusing on two movements; the push up and the air squat. After all is you cant do a push up of squat should your really be doing anything else before your get that dialed in? Over the years I've observed thousands of young athletes performing these movement incorrectly most of the time under the watchful eye of there coach. Heck I'm guilty of it, I admit it. <br />
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My goal was to teach each and every athlete how to move properly and or how to scale the movement so that proper mechanics could occur. Here's of how I broke down, the push up and the squat, for the Campers' at RunningWorks<br />
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Key Cues for the Push Up:<br />
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1. Hand Position: Athletes often times have their hands to far apart, the key is to stack you joints over top one another. When holding the staring position, the shoulder should be over the elbow and the elbow should be over top of the wrist. Once the joints are aligned make sure the shoulder is over top of you knuckles. Finally spread your fingers, give yourself a wider base of support.<br />
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2. Stay Connected: Often times athletes are only concerned with what the arms are doing and not what's going on with the rest of the body. All movement begins and ends with posture. If you have good posture you'll move better. If your disconnected and lack good posture you won't be very efficient. So how do we get connected? Simple squeeze! By squeezing I mean get your muscles engaged and become rigid like a board. Squeeze the abs, quads, hams, and glutes so that when you move through range of motion the joints move off the floor at the same time. As you push off the floor, the shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joint need to remain in a straight line.<br />
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3. Range of Motion: All movements need to travel through complete range of motion. What I've found is lack of strength and fear of not getting off the floor restricts range of motion. In order to promote full ROM, I prefer to see athletes work from the floor up rather then go to the floor and back up. Starting from the floor each time allows us to relax and reconnect each time, before pushing off to complete our push up. When starting from the floor you know your connected (squeezing) when the knees and quads are not in contact with the ground. As you're learning this new style of push up I guarantee your elbow will fan out, remember to focus on external rotation and fight to keep that elbow stacked over the wrist brushing along your rib cage.<br />
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4. Foot Position: Often time athletes do push ups with the feet together. Remember just like joints up top, keep your feet under your hip. Give yourself a wider base, you might find this wider base not only allows you to connect better, it will also help you move through ROM a little easier.<br />
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5. Scaling: If after these corrections if you still find it difficult to complete a push up from the floor, chances are your core is not strong enough to stay active. So rather then continue to train poor movement patterns scale the push up back and go from your knees rather then from your feet. For some this can be a blow to the ego but it's always better and safer to scale then to move poorly. Poor movement patterns will eventually lead to injury and time off. When in doubt SCALE!<br />
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Key Cues for the Squat:<br />
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1. Foot Position: When squatting feet should be at shoulder width or slightly wider. Toes should be pointed straight ahead or at most at 10 and 2. It's very common for athletes to set up with the feet to close together. Also it should be noted that as the athlete begins to squat they should adjust their weight toward the back of the foot rather then up on the toes.<br />
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2. Knee Position: As with the push up the same is true for squatting, always keep the joints stacked. As you move through the range of motion of a squat you need to focus on keeping your knee stacked over the ankle. The cue here is to push the knees out (as a demonstration I push the athletes knees in and had them push their knees against my hands). It is important to note the this outward push needs to occur from the start of the movement through completion of the squat.<br />
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3. First Movement: Most inexperienced squatters first movement will be a bend in the knee. Unfortunately when this occurs our knees shoot forward in front of our foot putting our knees in a dangerous position. When squatting properly the first movement is always push back of the hip. By pushing the hip back first this allows the knee to stay staked over the ankle (remember don't over over emphasize the hip push back).<br />
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4. Range of Motion: When squatting with full ROM athletes will have there hips below their knees. When done properly with good mechanics squatting below parallel is completely safe and beneficial to improving leg strength in runners (I allowed the athletes to use the fence to assist hip below parrallel).<br />
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5. Staying Active: As with the push up it is crucial that the athlete stay active and keep the core engaged. I saw many athletes in poor position, easily correct themselves with the simple cue of squeeze your abs, push your knees out (with this cue, athletes immediately picked their chest up putting their spine in a much better position).<br />
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The goal was to make things as simple as they are (so that it was easier then camp food to digest). By focusing on these cues athletes were performing push ups and squats with better movement patterns with complete range of motion.<br />
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After one of the talks I was asked who my influences were in the Strength & Conditioning World. Below is a brief description of my journey to learn more about Strength training for Runners. <br />
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Over the the last 2 years years I seemed to have become the CrossFitter in the eyes of my Running Friends and Circles and to my CrossFit Friend I've always been the Runner. But in my eyes I'm a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C5%8Dnin">Ronin </a>, a coach wandering seeking information from sources outside the Running Community.
It started off as fun MMA style conditioning, (flipping tires, pushing cars carrying kegs) which led to internet searches, that lead to CrossFit.com. Whoa! Olympic Lifting! Gymnastics (always wanted to be a gymnast! bucket list, CHECK!) Deadlifts! I'm in. <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eUOC3NnUB0E" width="420"></iframe><br />
Like I said I am a Running Geek and being that Geek I remembered my Father bringing home a book that had pictures of Seb Coe(in his white short shorts and his knee high socks) doing barbell movements like Clean, Press, Snatch, Deadlift. I always felt that some added barbell movements would be beneficial not just for my training but for my athletes as well. Only problem I had no idea where to start and if I can't do it I'm certainly not having my athletes do it. So with that the CrossFit Level 1 Coaches Certification offered the most bang for its buck. Without ever picking up a barbell out side of benching and curling or having been to a "Box" I got my L1 Certificate. Now I could start lifting and eventually coach my athletes to do the same. Hopefully I won't hurt myself or anyone and maybe I'll get a 1/4 of a Seb Coe in an athlete! I spent the summer of 2010 practicing my lifts while giving my athletes body weight met-con workouts. I seemed to be feeling better on my runs and these kids are starting to get shredded?!? Something is up...<br />
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In September of 2010 I headed to CF Morristown to attend a CrossFit Endurance Seminar. Why? 1. It was in New Jersey. 2. I had the $ to afford it. 3. Like CF it addressed addressed technique. 4. Like CF it covered nutrition. 5. Just like CF, it laid out its template(s) of the hows and whys. It presented me with another opportunity to better educate myself and help me be a better coach. I noticed on the CF Motown Community Board that they were having a Olympic Lifting Clinic. I asked Coach Mike D "Hey can anyone go to this or is this for members?' "Dude you are more then welcome to sign up!" Another opportunity to learn more about Oly lifts for $20, I'm in! <br />
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Before the Oly Clinic I still had not had use more then a 45lb. bar for an Oly movement. By the end of the night I had accomplished both and was stoked to had gain some more insight into the Oly lifts. Well worth the $20 and 2+ hours of driving during Jersey Rush Hour. By that time I was a loyal Tuesday/Thursday 6:15am at CF Motown. Why? because the Coach Mike D was giving. Helping me to move better as an athlete but also, how to cue my own athletes and how to better access their movement. <br />
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By December of 2010 I had be bitten by the CF Bug, the opportunity to learn more presented itself and off the California I went. I spent 2011 in Southern California submerged in the "Scene"(this is a blog for another time and another place) soaking up as much content as I could be apart of. Along the way in my travels is where I picked up the techniques and cues I presented during my Strength talk at camp.<br />
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Say what you want about CrossFit (I will, soon enough) it has it's good and it's bad. Like anything if you put yourself in front of the right people your going to learn things. You might not agree with everything but then again you don't have to. Thats what being a coach is all about. It's about style. Yes there is science behind it and it is an art (it's like college, it's not for everyone) but your style is yours and my style is mine! It's 2012 people lets be real honest with ourselves, check your ego and realize no one is inventing or reinventing the wheel at this point. The Law of Specificity is pretty simple if you want to be good at running you need to run. How you choose to supplement your training or coach your athletes is up to you. <br />
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The most important take away for me is that when you hurt or get hurt that's your body telling you you're not moving properly and rest isn't the correct answer. Correct the movement and get stronger you'll be able to run more and in turn you'll run faster.<br />
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RunningWorks 2013 is scheduled for August 12th-17th and there's no place I'd rather be then Canadensis, PA<br />
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I Love Camp!StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-27247922110956464062011-08-22T10:57:00.008-04:002011-08-24T17:20:38.650-04:00Fear and Loathing in CanadensisFor the past three summers in the middle of August I have ventured into the hills of Pennsylvania to coach high school aged athletes as they prepare for their upcoming cross country season. This year was different, I'm currently living and coaching in California so I flew in specifically for Running Works (AKA RunningDUBS). Yes it's that much fun, that I spent money on a plane ticket to leave So-Cal to spend a week in a cabin in the woods in PA. For me camp is all about renewing my love for running & cross country and even though I may leave physically exhausted, mentally I am recharged ready to take on new goals and challenges. Camp is a throwback, a nostalgic reminder of how simple life was as a high school kid going to Colt Camp. It's a reminder to chase dreams and live life to the fullest
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<br />I've been apart of a running camp in every capacity; athlete, college counselor, and coach. The goal is always the same; to pick up new things to add to my toolbox of treats. Even as an 85lb freshmen, I went to Colt Camp to learn what it was that made CBA so good. As it turns out they train hard and at the time it was really hard for me. I ran my PR for 5 miles the first run of camp (true story) and by the end of the week I was walking up and down the stairs of my cabin and the mess hall backwards. It was also the first time I met future Monmouth teammate Dicky Corcoran. We were on our long run together and as the faster group rolled by us he encouraged me to go with them and try to finish the last few miles with them. Already hurting I gave him some lame excuse about being a freshman and as a freshmen I didn't need to attempt to prove myself with the faster group. Without directly calling me a P@ssy he called me a P@ssy and he set me in such a rage that I took off, caught up to the group and finished the run with them. Dicky helped me realize that I was capable of hurting far more then I ever though I was capable of. As a freshman I was the #2 for most of the season. Dicky also introduced to Ramble On by Led Zepplin a song that continues to be a mantra today
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<br />In college as a counselor the rumor was that the campers had a goal to break all the counselors on the runs. As it turns out they were successful in dropping all but one, me. Fortunately one of those dropped counselors would go on to be a part of NCAA DI podium team that same year. Unfortunately I did not nor did I ever come close. Looking back I now know that I could have put in a little more effort, been a little smarter, had a better diet, maybe got more rest, I might have. It really is true, that you can be whatever you want to be. Whether do or not is completely up to you, how much are you willing to suffer and sacrifice to achieve your ultimate goals. At camp your surrounded by like minded people all working hard to improve as runners.
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<br />Nows as a coach, I get to have a small hand in helping these athletes. There really is no better feeling then watching a group of athletes transform right before your very eyes and over the course of only 6 days no less. Some kids are teammates but for the most part the groups are made up of kids that have never met, yet they come together as a team. As coaches we take pride in how well our groups come together. In addition to helping out young runners, camp is a time for the coaches to have a reunion of sorts. Old friends telling war stories from their "Glory Days". Now that I'm living on the west coast this reunion was even more special as I haven't seen most of the coaches since camp last year.
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<br />For me it's no different, camp is timeless. Regardless of my role at camp I will always be brought back to a simple time when life didn't cause stress, bills didn't exist and all I had to do was lace em' up and go hammer. Camp is a place where you can put on a song from back in the day and everyone will sing along. It's my reminder to continue to live life to the fullest, chase dreams and do it my way, even if it means going against the grain sometimes. As I head back to California I have a new list of goals and challenges ahead of me. Only time will tell where those goals bring me as 2012 approaches. One thing is certain, I will be at camp in 2012. In fact I wouldn't miss it for the world!
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<br /> StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-12106159066049864212011-03-20T21:04:00.003-04:002011-03-31T20:05:10.787-04:00Don't talk about it, be about it...That's how the saying goes. It's a big reason why, at the end of November I packed my car and drove to California. It is a saying used at CrossFit Counter Culture . "Don't think about it, don't talk about it, be about." It's also motivation to follow through with your goals. The other night I decided stop talking about it and to start being about it.<br /><br />In January I decided one of my goals for 2011 was to do an ultra endurance event of some kind. Last week I registered for the 20in24 Lone Ranger Ultra. On July 16 & 17, I will try to run as many miles as possible in 24 hours. A 24 hour AMRAP, 8.4 miles around the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Over the next few months I plan to document my preparations.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORuEnwuzIaXkjCCMAkgWErw85MbW1_4LW9mR78Cs0tvn0wLX2ybjzTlyNpsD62QWKzSNzWJZIh1STm74u2nFhFqWkqXriXsrcqneVIvE1rOGFTr6IEzjco-wYN3ZlF8JxfwTTZekRYeu7/s1600/2024-LOGO-no-feet+smaller4.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORuEnwuzIaXkjCCMAkgWErw85MbW1_4LW9mR78Cs0tvn0wLX2ybjzTlyNpsD62QWKzSNzWJZIh1STm74u2nFhFqWkqXriXsrcqneVIvE1rOGFTr6IEzjco-wYN3ZlF8JxfwTTZekRYeu7/s400/2024-LOGO-no-feet+smaller4.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590398811608525458" /></a>StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-51322859027779856602011-01-10T16:45:00.004-05:002011-01-12T00:52:28.312-05:00Disney Marathon Weekend - Goofy ChallengeOver the weekend I returned to the east coast to run the Goofy Challenge in Disney World. I had several reason for taking on the challenge of running 39.3 miles over the course of one weekend; 1. how tough am I mentally, 2. how hard is it physically to run a half marathon and then follow it up the next day with a marathon, 3. could this all be done following CrossFit Endurance training, running only 3 days a week and running less than 15 miles a week. Here's a look at how the weekend went and the answers to those questions.<br /><br />Back in September when I made the decision to switch my training full time to CrossFit and Crossfit Endurance I entered the Goofy Challenge to put the methodology to the test. Only after a month of CFE specific training I ran an 8 minute PR in the marathon and was completely sold. 39.3 miles over two days would be a new test, not only of myself but again of CFE v LSD. My goal was to try and run under 1:20 for the half and under 3:00 for the full. With no specific event programming this would certainly be a test of my GPP (general physical preparedness) During the last month I spent more time focusing my CrossFit training than I did on my running. I did still continue to do three run specific workouts a week but I can honestly say over the last month I averaged less than 15 miles a week and my longest run was a 7.5 mile time trial. <br /><br />Now that I'm living in California, travel and time change would add another element of endurance to my race. On Thursday I spent most of the day on an airplane, leaving my house at 4:30 PST and arriving at Fort Wilderness around 6:30 EST. It was a scheduled rest day so there was no stress of trying to find time to workout. After we checked in and grabbed a quick bite it was off to bed. Friday came quickly and at 5:30 it was off to the park to support some family members who were running the 5k as a warm up for their half marathon. From the 5k it was over to the race expo to pick up our packets and grab a few gels for sundays 26.2 jaunt. In the afternoon I did an easy 20 minute shake out run followed up with drills, calisthenics and strides. I had hoped to eat dinner a little early then I did but some times things don't goes as planned. By the time we returned from dinner it was 9pm and with a 3am wake up call it was pretty close to bed time. Being on west coast time my body was a little out of whack to say the least. At 3am my alarm sounded and after a quick WTF, I was up getting ready to be out the door by 4 am. Traffic getting to the start was pretty bad and although everyone in the car was on the verge of panic I tried to relax. Luckily we made it and after a few good lucks and fist pounds I headed to the the start to warm up. <br /><br />At 5:40am the half started I and spent the first 2 miles weaving my way through the crowd running splits of 6:58 and 6:23. Having run as long as I have, I know my best races come when I run progressively and the goal is always to run faster at the finish then at the start. The opening 6:58 dodging traffic didn't bother me at the time but looking back it was certainly a factor in me not breaking 1:20, such is life. From the start at Epcot the the race heads down World Drive towards the Magic Kingdom and into the park. Through miles 3-5 I split 6:17, 6:17, 6:02 and by 5 miles I was in my groove and rolling. Once in Magic Kingdom you run through Tomorrow Land and Cinderella's Castle and at this point I was reminded how awesome it must be to run a major marathon like NYC, Chicago or Boston. The people and the energy at the Castle was awesome, it gave me chills. I clicked off a 6:05 at 6 miles and split 38:47 for 10k. Mile 7 was run in 5:59 and you can see that the energy of the crowd at the castle got me a little excited. After leaving the Magic Kingdom it was back toward Epcot and I reminded myself of two very important things "don't force, don't chase" and miles 8 and 9 were split in 6:07 and 6:05, passing 15k in 57:43. By 15k I was feeling great and the miles were flying by. With 26.2 on the horizon I continued on with the mantra "don't force, don't chase and miles 10 and 11 were split in 6:05 and 6:03. With 2 miles to go there were runners strung out as far as I could see and at that point i decided to force and to chase a little. The mantra had switched from "don't force, don't chase" to "unscared," "firebreather," and "compete." As I headed into Epcot I passed mile 12 in 5:52, mile 13 in 5:59 and the last .1 in :34 to break the tape in 1:20:21 finishing in 31st overall. Although I wanted to break 1:20, I was still pumped with the race as a whole. 1/3 down, 2/3's to go. Poor planning on my part and poor communication with my pit crew left me wondering around in a mylar blanket far longer then I would have liked but again, such is life.<br /><br />After some food and R&R I spent some time on calisthenics, mobility and rolling out. Overall I was feeling pretty good and ready for the following day. I cooked an early dinner of steak and veggies and made every attempt to be in bed and asleep by 9pm. At 10pm I received a text message from Orbitz saying my flight to Atlanta after the race was cancelled. Seeing as I was scheduled to start my first CFE class at CrossFit Counter Culture on Monday I was a little worried about getting home on time. After a 30 minute phone call with Orbitz I had my flights fixed and I would actually be home an hour earlier then my original flight. Needless to say I got another restless night of sleep and when my alarm sounded at 3am again it was an even bigger WTF! A little before 4am we headed out to the start to try and beat the traffic. Traffic was minor and we made our way to the start at Epcot with ease. By this time I was a little nervous and decided to head to the start a little earlier then I probably should have. The temperature was much cooler the it was on Saturday and sitting at the start as long as I did only made my nerves worse. Looking back I should have waited in the van and stayed warm for a little longer.<br /><br />Around 5:40 we started and again for the first two miles I worked my way through the crowd trying to ease into a comfortable pace that would allow me a chance of hitting my goal of sub 3. Miles 1-3 were splits of 7:36, 7:10, 7:03 as I headed towards Magic Kingdom. At mile 4 I split 6:48 and thought here we go, get into that rhythm and roll. If I could run 6:48 pace for the next 22 miles I'd run under 3 hours for sure. Mile 5 clicked off at 6:54 and I thought, just keep the next 21 under 7 minute pace and you can still be pumped. My plan was to fuel every 5 miles with a GU and hydrate at every rest stop but by 9 mile a pit stop was needed. Unfortunately my pit stop resulted in my 9th mile spilt of 7:25 my first split over 7 minutes since mile 3. Having run Disney last year I had a feel for the course, which parts would be lonely and which parts I struggled with. Those parts were coming. I ran miles 10-14 in 6:49, 6:55, 6:52, 6:57, 6:55. Last year at mile 15 heading toward the Animal Kingdom the wheels started to come off and at mile 15 I split 7:03 and suddenly running wasn't as effortless as it was at mile 14. At mile 16 for the first time in the race someone passed me and I thought this isn't a good sign but at the same time thought there's still a lot of running to do don't panic you'll see them again. Mile 16 and 17 run through the Animal Kingdom where there are lots of twist and turns and little ups and downs that made running not as much as it had been the day before. Although I was starting to hurt I still split 7:06, 7:03 and the miles were still clicking off relatively speaking. By 18 the only thing I could think was that I still had 8 to go. If I could get to 20 I could digest 6 to go. Mile 19 was 7:23 and I really was in need of a bathroom and I guess I'm just not hard core enough to piss my pants. After another pit stop I split a 7:59 for mile 20, which thankfully would be the slowest of the race. Between mile 20 and 21 there is an out an back turn around and I noticed a few blue bib numbers (blue numbers are issued to Goofy Challenge runners). I was at a crossroads at 20.5 miles I could pack it in and cruise in or I could snap out of my funk and rally. After I hit the turn and headed towards mile 21, I suddenly heard someone cheering for me. I looked up and realized it was my little brother Jim (also did the Goofy) who I hadn't seen since the start. At that point I decided I'd better rally if I wanted to hold him off because he looked like he was moving a lot faster then I was. Mile 21-24 were run in 7:35, 7:28, 7:24, 7:42. With 2.2 to go I could see SpaceShip Earth and a rage came over me and my brain gave my body a big F-U. I could see the all the people who had passed me over the last few miles and I found my mantra again, "FU", Unscared", "compete", "pull". One by one they were coming back to me and the more I caught the faster I went. I ran mile 25 in 7:02, mile 26 in 6:39 my fastest of the race and my last .2 in 1:20. I ended up running 3:07.18 finishing 116 overall. When it was all said and I hadn't hit either of my time goals but was extremely pleased with the weekend and my overall performance. I had run 39.3 miles in two days and the last time I ran anything close to that distance was in October when I ran the AC Marathon. In fact since November I haven't run over 70 minutes and I did that only once. Does CrossFit Endurance work? I think we all know the answer to that. HELL YEAH IT DOES!StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-33141283949793196652010-12-28T01:49:00.002-05:002011-01-03T18:02:37.250-05:00goodbye 2010, hello 2011What a difference a year can make. At the end of 2009 I was heading into my first marathon battling injuries and lacking confidence in my preparation to be certain I could run 26.2 miles successfully. As I'm starting to understand more and more if you think it enough it will probably come true. After all, if you build it they will come. As I head into 2011, I am a few days away from returning to Orlando, Florida, this time to take on the Goofy Challenge. On Saturday January 8, 2011 in will run the half marathon and on Sunday I will tackle my second Disney Marathon. I haven't done the traditional mega mileage nor have I done any 20+ mile long runs. In fact I probably haven't run more then 20 miles in one week of training since September or October. Instead my training has consisted of things like muscle ups, cleans, dead lifts, squats (front, back & overhead) and everyone's favorite snatches. In addition I have also been doing 2-3 specific interval and time trial efforts. If anything has come from using CrossFit Endurance it's that my confidence is at an all time high and if you're from the "Jersey Shore" you know what happens when your confidence is high. Since my last marathon my strength has improved and my intervals have have gotten faster. Here's a look at my training two weeks out from race date.<br /><br />Sunday December 26: 60 minute time trial covering as much distance as possible. Finished between 10 - 11 miles (I sure do wish I still had my Garmin).<br /><br />Monday December 27: 1 RM Overhead Squat 135# - Acacianator 3 rounds for time of: 27 Pull-ups, 12 Power Cleans 115,<br />27 Over Head Weighted Sit Ups 45, 12 Shoulder to Overheads 115: 32:06<br />This workout completely smoked me and took a little longer then it should have. I probably should have scaled the weight a little more and went with 110 or 105.<br /><br />Tuesday December 28: Row 500m then 7 rounds for time of: 3 Back Squats 80% max 165#, 7 Jingle-Jangle Sprints 10 m (shuttle run), Burpee Broad Jump back to bar: 11:45<br />All in all it was a pretty solid WOD and considering I've only been squatting with weight since September I was pretty pumped with 21 reps @ 165#. There's a saying on one of the lifting platforms at Counter Culture and it says "Stronger than yesterday" it has become one of my mantras.<br /><br />PM Intervals of 10 x 1:1 - leg were a little sluggish from the squats but I felt pretty smooth considering the WOD I did in the morning. Due to my work schedule I wasn't able to give myself the recommended 3 hours recovery between workouts.<br /><br />Wednesday December 29: 7-11-21 reps of: Deadlift 185, sots presses 45, between sets of 7 and 11 complete 50 double unders, 50 mt. climbers, 15 parallette pass throughs: 12:14<br />Today I learned what sots press are and boy are they hard. A sots press is a snatch grip shoulder press from the bottom squat position. The great thing about CrossFit is not only am I doing things I never thought I could do, I'm even doing things I've never heard of!<br /><br />Thursday December 30: gymnastic warm up consisting of 4 rounds of Handstand Hold 30 seconds, 30 Hollow Rocks , L Sit Hold 30 seconds on rings<br />Then<br />5 rounds for time of: 7 Burpee Box Jumps, 30 Double Unders , 7 Overhead Squats (95#) <br />Unfortunately I didn't log my time on this WOD so I have no idea have long it took to complete. I do remember being very frustrated with my double unders especially because I did them so well in the WOD the day before. <br /><br />Friday December 31: Early AM did 4 x 1 minute hill repeats with jog down recovery. During the warm up I developed a nasty calf crap that I attribute to dehydration.<br /><br />WOD: 1 RM Squat Clean in 5 minutes 135# - for time complete 20 shoulder to overhead 115# / 40 lateral burpees followed by max wall ball shot (35)<br />After today I can be sure that 5 on 2 off is not the training schedule I need to follow. This was the first WOD I've done in a while that I wasn't pleased with my performance and I was because I was beat up and tired. The key to better performance is recovery.<br /><br />Saturday January 1, 2011: No training - Rest and Recovery. Bring on 2011!<br /><br />Sunday January 2: Do to my calf issue from Friday's workout I decided to take today's run fairly easy. 45 minute progressive run and although my calf was still noticeable I was able to increase my pace throughout the run even with the hills here in Oceanside.<br /><br />Monday January 3: 1 RM Dead Lift 275# - For Time: 50 Wall Balls, 5 Rounds Cindy, 40 Wall Balls, 4 Rounds Cindy, 30 Wall Balls , 3 Rounds Cindy, 20 Wall Balls, 2 Rounds Cindy, 10 Wall Balls, 1 Round Cindy: 20:42<br />What a way to start the week! 150 wall balls in total leaves the legs smoked for sure but after finishing a WOD like this I know i'm ready for the Goofy Challenge!StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-38172276275986604732010-11-14T08:14:00.010-05:002010-11-15T18:21:12.221-05:00CrossFit Endurance State of the Community EventIt's been almost a month since the AC Marathon and it's been quite a ride since. After my 8 minute PR I decided to send Brian Mackenzie from CrossFit Endurance an email detailing my experience and success with CFE. The response I got was far more then I could have ever imagined. Brain was getting ready to launch his new site and he wanted me to do an interview detailing my experience with CFE and and my back to back endurance weekends of 18 and 26.2 races. I was able to recruit some help and an HD camera and the result was sent off to Brain. When<a href="http://www.iamunscared.com/richard-airey/"> Iamunscared.com</a> launched my interview was the opening post. <br /><br />Brain had also mentioned the CrossFit Endurance State of the Community Event in Costa Mesa and without hesitation I said I'd be there. The event would be a great opportunity to network and meet many of the California affiliates as well as many of the big guns in the CrossFit community. The event did not disappoint and was well worth the trip. <br /><br />I started off the day spending some time with Newman from<a href="http://rxjumpropes.intuitwebsites.com/index.html"> Rx Jump Ropes</a> working on my double under skills or the lack there of. Newman and his crew spent 5 minutes working with me, filming and reviewing my form. I picked up some really good tips and some gnarly bruises. I'm looking forward to getting home and getting more practice on my Rx Rope. <br /><br />Through out the day WODs were being thrown down and the 1st WOD consisted of 1k row taking 15 pulls, then 10 burpees until the 1k was completed. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxr6rKc-emN_4oiSJ89jyrKM_jbkgIAydiRX6jMI4A5c_dhK41rWIzjN9pugJtHK98qVmm0yIOPtPGi0JyTFVdIAWunMPZQTWqrrjchJfmzKOIVeDF9kCCJAtqTnAbo5lWI1LeD4tyIce/s1600/cfeevent.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxr6rKc-emN_4oiSJ89jyrKM_jbkgIAydiRX6jMI4A5c_dhK41rWIzjN9pugJtHK98qVmm0yIOPtPGi0JyTFVdIAWunMPZQTWqrrjchJfmzKOIVeDF9kCCJAtqTnAbo5lWI1LeD4tyIce/s320/cfeevent.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539919450051875170" /></a>It took me a little over 7 minutes to complete and I was completely spent. My lungs were stinging, my back was cramped and my leg were like jello. As I sat down to regroup, Kelly Starrett Aka KStar from CrossFit San Fran and the <a href="http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/">MobilityWOD</a> gave my some pointers on improving my rowing/burpees technique and reducing some of my Piriformis discomfort. As it turns out not only is Kelly a genius when it come to the human body and mobility but he's pretty funny as well. After a quick exchange I walked to my car to drop off my new<a href="http://www.inov-8.com/"> Inov-8</a> and on the way I almost met pukie for the first time. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0Fs_YVEavx7-5NVmzfAPS-iPXzFFwkJ1u2yZyg7oZw9SxWmX6JcSCIgqFOvalg02mRzsXG1HpX8OzA4dJS0d7gGS_z8uB7ksZp0qfwcuiFrAf7V_nsDVy_RYERhOuyizMwmfqyinzNFq/s1600/pukie-the-clown1.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0Fs_YVEavx7-5NVmzfAPS-iPXzFFwkJ1u2yZyg7oZw9SxWmX6JcSCIgqFOvalg02mRzsXG1HpX8OzA4dJS0d7gGS_z8uB7ksZp0qfwcuiFrAf7V_nsDVy_RYERhOuyizMwmfqyinzNFq/s320/pukie-the-clown1.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539419030455849762" /></a> Luckly I was able to maintain my composure and pukie left me alone. Better luck next time.<br /><br />I made my way to the <a href="http://www.strongerfasterhealthier.com/">Stronger Faster Healthier</a> to see if I could get a sample of some of their flavored fish oil. I had never dared to try anything other then fish oil in capsule form. The burps alone make me cringe at the thought of gulping down a few ounces a straight fish oil. Patricia Leighton from SFH spent some time explaining the specifics and enlightened me as to why SFH oil is the sickest. SFH offers 5 different flavors; lemon, tangerine, mint, vanilla and chocolate. All surprisingly were realy good and had not one bit a fish taste at all. The best part no fish burps either. I opted for a 10 oz. bottle of tangerine and look forward to no more fish burps. <br /> <br />The panel discussion included Olympic Lifting experts Mike Burgerner and Josh Everett. Fire Breathers like Greg Amundson, Becca Voigt, Kristan Clever and mobility expert Kelly Starrett. Each talked about how they became involved with CrossFit and some stumbled upon it the way I did, through a simple Google search looking better way to enhance their fitness. The family feel of the CrossFit community was something that each touched upon and its that same thing that keeps me coming back day in day out. In high school and college being a part of a team was an amazing experience and left a void in my athletic pursuits once I graduated from College. There’s something about shared suffering that brings people together and every time I step into a box to do a WOD I get the same feeling I used to get when I competed with my teammates when I competed in high school and college. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov-DKHeCLh6kk2try7Fmrd45EJBLL6E9j_u6R2mTpRbm3yY8gJ99z1GXxnVmxRD3iy-mnAp6uCcevW7tLPRSwzsFGsj60H70XLnP9InZG610OkhPsJ3HIvnpXmuMI6dnRTpO3KTAzutXd/s1600/cfepanel.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov-DKHeCLh6kk2try7Fmrd45EJBLL6E9j_u6R2mTpRbm3yY8gJ99z1GXxnVmxRD3iy-mnAp6uCcevW7tLPRSwzsFGsj60H70XLnP9InZG610OkhPsJ3HIvnpXmuMI6dnRTpO3KTAzutXd/s320/cfepanel.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539919742577537602" /></a><br />The second panel, Lisa Lugo, Dave Castro, Jimi Litchford, Brian Mackenzie, Greg Glassman talked about CrossFit in 2011 and beyond. The new partnership with Reebok and potential monetary incentives for the CrossFit Games Champion. The potential of a possible TV deal to air the CrossFit Games. The possibility of a new twist in the works for the 2011 gamse with the hint of swimming being a new skill that will be required in order to claim the title of the worlds fittest human. I was amazed to learn that CrossFit is adding 70 new affiliates each month with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Some of the highlights can be found at <a href="http://www.sicfit.com/coverage/237836-State-of-the-Community-Address">SicFit </a> compliments of Jermey Thiel out of CrossFit Central in Austin, Texas. The continued theme was the value of the community within CrossFit and I couldn't agree more. When you enter a CrossFit box you are brought in like you are one of the family even if your're from the other side of the country. It's because of this that the CrossFit community like no other then I've ever been a part of.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-16578505009765662482010-10-24T19:53:00.014-04:002010-10-31T21:58:18.424-04:00The 52nd Atlantic City MarathonSome time in September I got the crazy idea that I wanted to run the Atlantic City Marathon the week after the LBI 18 Mile Run. Even though LBI didn't really go as well as I would have liked I told myself if the weather forecast looked good, go for it. The first thing I did the Monday morning after LBI was get the weekly weather forecast. The second thing I did was register for the 52nd Atlantic City Marathon, the third oldest running marathon in the country. "America's First Festival of Running." Who knew? <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsQKn5ehyphenhyphen7F4oT-kP2kz8QDRHL63EQdWSRk9wV0zx7Cm9LW-3vbAoghD6xxbvPvpPBYqusQAZ5UWs2nur6sfH_t4jOdUtDZCZXz7T6grbUlWswsfexAKpFoymLhIBML5t9aPl48pv7bMA/s1600/acmarathon.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsQKn5ehyphenhyphen7F4oT-kP2kz8QDRHL63EQdWSRk9wV0zx7Cm9LW-3vbAoghD6xxbvPvpPBYqusQAZ5UWs2nur6sfH_t4jOdUtDZCZXz7T6grbUlWswsfexAKpFoymLhIBML5t9aPl48pv7bMA/s320/acmarathon.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532903794917679762" /></a><br /><br />I limped away from LBI disappointed in my performance but was confident that it wasn't my best effort. The early changes in pace as well as poor nutrition did me in yet again. Would AC offer me redemption? The plan was to go and run a PR and considering my PR was 2:59, I felt confident it could be done. I took the Monday after LBI relatively easy running just a few miles and strides in the evening to shake my legs out. I was surprised at how good I felt with no real soreness that one would expect the day after an 18 mile race. As was the case of my two previous marathon outings, I was completely wrecked right after the race but the next day I felt fine. I attributed this to poor nutrition during the race and was determined not to let that be the reason for poor performance again. With that in mind I tried to pick a few different flavor gels that I thought I could stomach on race day and opted to go with GU; strawberry banana, Roctane pineapple and tri-berry w/caffeine. Would they work on race day would be another story... Here's a look at my training the week before the marathon.<br /><br />October 12, 2010<br />Snatch Grip Push Press 4,4,3,2,2 with 90 seconds rest between sets followed by Back Squats 3,3,2,1,1 also with 90 seconds rest between sets. <br /><br />October 13, 2010<br />AM. WOD: 10 x 1:1, one minute on, one minute off x 10. The main focus when I do a 1:1 is form and technique. I felt like my form held together pretty well during the LBI race with no hot spot issues with my feet. <br />PM. WOD: 20 minute row on the C2 (no info because the computer is broken) followed up with 60 walking lunge and 60 air squats.<br /><br />October 14, 2010<br />12 x 100 Hills Sprints with 10 squat jumps at the top of the hill after the last 6 repeats. The workout called for 30 second hill sprint but the hill I used didn't quite cut it so in order to get a little more out of the workout I decided to throw in some squat jumps to add a little more effort to the workout. <br /><br />October 15, 2010<br />Speed development and technique work on the track, 6 x 150 with 150 walking recovery, 5 x 30 and 6 x 120. I tried to keep everything comfortably fast and focused on keeping my feet under my general center of mass.<br /><br />October 16, 2010<br />Not your normal typical pre-race shake out. 30 Muscle Ups in 12:55. Did the first 7 unbroken and continued to do 3 - 4 unbroken until I got to 25. From 25 to 30 it was one at a time. After my muscle up WOD I did some light running with my XC team as they warmed up for their hill workout. After practice I headed over to the <a href="http://www.njpowercenter.com/">Power Center</a> in Red Bank for some yoga with Lauren Brunelli<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw_vsuvIRw104p6_ToVh5Z1RzxZc8MBCOuYl7M7yiiScvYjZuCrooa5v3YIFF5rK8Rd7vXwe_lT9vFWtA_00IwHG4msH-R7Dj0XYC4jYw0I_5Zpjdd2cGX5yOTJg1fNNN5YbQSOOWy9oK/s1600/budha.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtw_vsuvIRw104p6_ToVh5Z1RzxZc8MBCOuYl7M7yiiScvYjZuCrooa5v3YIFF5rK8Rd7vXwe_lT9vFWtA_00IwHG4msH-R7Dj0XYC4jYw0I_5Zpjdd2cGX5yOTJg1fNNN5YbQSOOWy9oK/s320/budha.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532903323250758578" /></a><br /><br />When my alarm went of at 4 a.m. I asked myself am I really going to run a marathon in a few hours?!? The answer was yes but I will admit I was a little nervous after last weeks 18 mile implosion. After a quick shower and WAWA stop I headed south for Atlantic City AKA the "City of Broken Dreams." As I drove down the parkway I reminded myself to relax, have fun and enjoy the experience. I knew if I could do those things I would walk away from a positive experience. An hour later I was rolling into AC still nervous but confident it was going to be a good day.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6qkpPhjqW4Bawd2lR9BkSuhkYWaJ34rG4IVuVU5XSANcahI2OidpLxjQxfwflLl9sw8EeeDSkS1utAaZFnntpQKmqTj0aEYaN5XHl-T2q7DSdENTz5aXcvXQY40hhaTEp5ToAr2Y_rsc/s1600/strip.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6qkpPhjqW4Bawd2lR9BkSuhkYWaJ34rG4IVuVU5XSANcahI2OidpLxjQxfwflLl9sw8EeeDSkS1utAaZFnntpQKmqTj0aEYaN5XHl-T2q7DSdENTz5aXcvXQY40hhaTEp5ToAr2Y_rsc/s320/strip.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532908185249266690" /></a><br /><br />Packet pick was at Boardwalk Hall and when I opened my packet and saw that my race number was 7, I knew for sure it was going to be a good day to run a marathon. With my packet and shirt in hand I headed back to my car to relax and eat a little before it was time to warm up.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmjSKrK5qYh_BcsNnZ-hJl8qoXUpdrJXw-TEgblLmmjhyphenhyphenoyTSkHkg-8zVVwVYhi4MRLCSzvX0XXTFUhi7kEU4LBfMvUXglbKknS9jN8_owUkQFkJdnlkP_L8CPZ4otpEXOxUtshYMaNtW/s1600/lucky7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmjSKrK5qYh_BcsNnZ-hJl8qoXUpdrJXw-TEgblLmmjhyphenhyphenoyTSkHkg-8zVVwVYhi4MRLCSzvX0XXTFUhi7kEU4LBfMvUXglbKknS9jN8_owUkQFkJdnlkP_L8CPZ4otpEXOxUtshYMaNtW/s320/lucky7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532911474027891218" /></a><br /><br />A little before 7 I left the parking garage to head over to the start to warm up. At the 18 miler my warm up was lacking and half-assed. I wasted time talking to friends and didn't warm up the way I knew I should have. Regardless of what pace you are running or how far you are running I still feel going through some range of motion is the key to a good performance. So, one hour before the start I started moving my body and didn't stop until 10 minutes to gun time. After some easy running on the boardwalk I found a place away from the start but near a bathroom to do my drills. As I did my drills I saw a few of my Running Works friends warming up and we wished each other good luck on the days endeavors. One thing I happened to notice as I continued to warm up and this I believe was a first for sure, was another runner smoking a cigarette. Yes I'm sure he was a runner, he had a number on. Two things instantly popped into my head when I saw this; 1. I thought I had done some crazy shit before some of my races and 2. I have to remember to put this in my blog. When it was all said on done I had put in a good hour of active movement and I felt much better about my warm up then I did the week before.<br /><br />Race time had come and I was about to find out if it was really possible to run an 18 mile race and then a week later run a marathon all on less then 30 miles a week. It took me 45 seconds to get to the starting line and another mile to weave my way in and out the traffic of three races starting at once. At 5 miles I took my first GU (strawberry bananna) and surprisingly I had no problem getting it down. I also made sure that I grabbed water/Gatorade at every aide station in order to avoid the cramping issue that did me in at LBI. I rolled through 5 at sub 3 hr pace feeling relaxed and comfortable, 5 down 21 to go. Some where around 6 miles I found myself running with a gentleman who was running the half-marathon, unfortunately I neglected to catch his name. I was reluctant to strike up a conversation because I was so focused on sticking to my plan and I didn't want to be distracted or end up running faster then I wanted. After a mile of one word answers I gave in, figuring it would help pass time. We talked about the marathons that we had run, injuries, nutrition, training and coaching. At 10 miles I downed my Roctane Pineapple and again had no problems getting it down and almost instantly it seemed like I could feel it take effect. I passed the 10 mile mark still under my goal pace still feeling comfortable and relaxed but I noticed that my quads weren't feeling great. Was I coming unglued already or was I just sore from the hills and squat jumps? <br /><br />At 12 miles my new running buddy pealed of to finish the Half and I pressed on southbound towards Ventnor and Margate on Atlantic Avenue. From miles 8 to the 15.5 the race ran into a head wind and around 14 it started to get a little annoying. At this point I started to talk to myself, coaching myself to stay positive and not let things I had no control over bother me. At 15, I downed another strawberry banana GU and again didn't have much of an issue getting it down. At the turn around at 15.5, I was reminded that I should have looked more closely at the course map. I can't even begin to stress how important it is to know the course you are running. I assumed that after the turn I was headed back to the boardwalk to finish and in a way I was. Just not directly. When I was directed inland it dawned on me the I still had some running left to do and heading straight back to Boardwalk Hall would have left me a few miles short of 26.2 miles.<br /><br />By the time I got to 18 miles I was still feeling strong but knew a lot could go wrong if I tried to force. Although I had been doing it the entire race from 18 on I really did a lot a self coaching and I began to get tunnel vision. Not the type you get when you're about to fall out but the type you get when you're in the zone. I repeated over and over to myself "don't force", "don't chase", "keep it up", "you've got a good one going." At 20 miles I took my last gel, GU tri-berry with caffeine and I felt great. Mentally I was dialed into my mantra and physically although my quads were sore I new I wasn't about to let another one slip away. I knew I was feeling great because I was still thanking the people on the course who where telling me that I looked great. At LBI I had stopped thanking people at mile 10. <br /><br />When I hit the boardwalk to head to the finish I was 11th and I had number 10 in my sights. Even though I only had a little over 3 miles to go, I still didn't want to force the issue "don't force, don't chase" I repeated over and over. Sure enough around 25 miles I moved into 10th and with a little over a mile to go the fear of blowing up no longer existed. I ran my last mile in 6:08 to finish with a chip time of 2:51.11 over and 8 minute PR on less then a weeks notice and off of less then 30 miles.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-21289595083129105842010-10-11T22:18:00.009-04:002010-10-21T13:20:22.762-04:00Jersey ShoreCABS HERE!!!<br /><br />IT'S T-SHIRT TIME!!!<br /><br />The Real Jersey Shore, the One and Only LBI 18 Mile Run. October 10, 2010, the 38th Memorial and my third attempt in as many years. But, before I get in to the gory details of the race, here's what my training has looked liked since the 4th.<br /><br />October 5, 2010<br />I headed up to CrossFit Morristown for a 6 a.m. WOD. Yup Pt. Pleasant to Morristown for a 6 a.m. workout. As crazy as it sounds I don't mind the alarm or the commute because it's a great BOX with great coaches and athletes. The original WOD called for 4 rounds of row 500, 9 ring dips, 12 shoulder to overhead Rx #135 (my weight #85), 15 box jumps. Unfortunately there are only 4 rowers and 15 athletes. Mike D, staggered us and alternatively planned to do a 400 (more like 300) run if the rowers got backed up. I started in the first wave and was 3rd off the rower. Which means I need to add that to my list of skills that needs improvement. I was also planing on not running but as it turns out after the first round I was out the garage door hammering a 300. Interesting who's on the streets in Morristown at 6 a.m. I was only able to get on a rower for the first round and I'm pretty sure a row, ring dip transition would have sucked way more. I finished in 18:38, rowing and lifts need improvement. In the afternoon I headed up to RBR to do a CF Mainsite WOD : 10 x 2 Bench Press w. 60 seconds rest. I was really sure where to start off but I know I haven't really bench pressed in a long time. So I opted on the lighter side; #115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160. With a spot I'm pretty sure I could have gotten #175.<br /><br />October 6, 2010<br />10.5 mile run with Craig Segal, ran 10 x 1 minute on w. 2 minutes recovery over the last 30 minutes. Feeling a bit run down in the afternoon I opted to bypass the afternoon strength and conditioning session.<br /><br />October 7, 2010<br />A.M. WOD: I headed up to Morristown again and the WOD consisted of; 10 rounds for time: 10 MB clean #20, 5 HSPU (handstand push ups), 10 pistols (5 each leg). I completed the WOD in 14:33 and walked away pumped about the ease in which I did the HSPU. I also noted that I need to work more on my weakness and I added pistols to the list.<br /><br />P.M. WOD : 5 x 40 : 20. This was a complete burner consisting of 40 seconds of all out sprint with 20 seconds rest. I warmed up with and easy mile of running followed up with 15 minutes worth form drills and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/richairey?feature=mhum#p/u/3/kTCD6rNA18I">active warm up</a>. I finished up my warm up with 4 x 100 progressive sprints with full recovery. 5:40:20 was another WOD that appeared on paper to much easier then it actually was. Each 40 second interval I covered around 275 meters. I'm not sure if it was the wind or the workout or both but this one had my lungs burning. <br /><br />October 8, 2010<br />Rest day : Spent some time working on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/richairey?feature=mhum#p/u/0/V01_vcEFBz8">Snatch</a> and did some easy running with the team during practice.<br /><br />October 9, 2010 <br />A.M. WOD : 7 muscle ups, 6 rounds of Cindy (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats), 5 muscle ups, 4 rounds of Cindy, 3 muscle ups, 2 rounds of Cindy, 1 muscle up. Still a relative novice on the ring I moved through the first round of muscle ups dropping down to the ground to re grip each time. When I jumped back up on the rings a light bulb went off and I suddenly knew how to do a kip on the ring. Just like that I did 4 unbroken muscle ups and I almost got the last one too. I finished the WOD in 15:32. At practice with the team I ran 9 x 300 uphill. Probably not the best idea with an 18 mile race the next day but I figured why not. I made sure I ran at least one hill with each group or individual. After we finished practice I received some praise from the RBR Maintenance Staff. They were very impressed with how hard my team works day in, day out, rain or shine. It's moments like this, that make it all worth it and it's moments like this that reassure you that what your doing is the right thing. I had a similar feeling after I left Running Works in August.<br /><br />Since I forgot to pick up my chip last year, I decided I would make the trip down to LBI to pre register so I wouldn't have to stress about it in the morning. In 2009 I signed up early, had my number but decided to bypass the t-shirt pick up to avoid the hassle at St Francis the morning of the race. As I was changing my shoes for the race my brother asked me if I had my timing chip. At that point it was to late to do anything to correct my stupidity and I ran without a chip. I ended up running a huge PR and finished 5th but the results of the 2009 race will never show that. Lesson learned, always pick up your t-shirt!<br /><br />October 10, 2010<br />Race day was here and questions would finally be answered. How would my new training program translate to race results? The goal was to run 6:30 pace and be as comfortable as possible. Fellow MUXCTF alum Pat Dalessandro was also running as he preps for his first marathon in December. We talked a few days before and we both had a similar race plan so we agree to meet up and give it a go together. I didn't really warm up as well as I would have like and Pat was even surprised that I mentioned warming up. I usually spend the hour leading up to a race going through range of motion and form drills but only managed to squeeze in 20 minutes before the race. This was by no means my downfall. <br /><br />We headed out at the start and I felt pretty comfortable and even though I was faster then I wanted to be through the early miles I still thought I was going to be able to maintain my pace the entire race. Through the early miles Pat and I clicked off splits in the low 6:20's. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__flfllu0wpFSpmRND79cqrCza83hP0HRG62XlyBWmhGDD5fNtCnLW-FHfdoUDk9VAiH2MjBLVn9jJWvvruiBUjHAAuSsQUYLb_oTdHe1d4yHu6Fat7tw-huPdfAGvG3nmut7rXH_Iiuw/s1600/lbi4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__flfllu0wpFSpmRND79cqrCza83hP0HRG62XlyBWmhGDD5fNtCnLW-FHfdoUDk9VAiH2MjBLVn9jJWvvruiBUjHAAuSsQUYLb_oTdHe1d4yHu6Fat7tw-huPdfAGvG3nmut7rXH_Iiuw/s320/lbi4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530529251380465890" /></a> At some point Pat and I gained a third member of our group and this is when things took a turn for the worse for me. It started to bother me that mile after mile this guy was content to sit in and let Pat and I do all the work. Eventually I moved behind him and forced him to the front to to some work and with that he took off and Pat followed. The next mile split ended up being 5:22!?! I knew that paced had picked up but 5:22 was ridiculous. The mile mark must be off but even if it was, it wasn't that off. So, because I stopped racing myself and started racing people around me my race was completely shot and we hadn't even hit the half was mark. <br /><br />At that point I realized I need to get back to my game plan which was to run 6:30's and be comfortable. I settled back into a rhythm and I tried to not think about the fact that I still had 9 miles to run. I had been taking <a href="http://www.accelsport.com/product info/Accelerade.html">Accelerade </a> every 3 miles but looking back I probably needed another fuel source because somewhere around mile 13 my calfs began to severely cramp. At this point Pat and I had moved into the top 10. Unfortunately, I had started to do damage control and suggested to Pat to go for it. Pat continued on and ended up running a great race finishing in 6th. I on the other hand went in the other direction going from 7th to 11th finishing in 1:56.50.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0xGvdyLGPqc4o25nMUKSggAbt5RpOz2NOtWNp1NsM2Fd4N3Do07vh490lICmx1chmZQVfM61Ir_F3hWKL-ApL-0EwimTIj8TDrhHoj_HeiIGX_nDReP_aB5s0dqAFy-LOaCFZMSGo0x7/s1600/lbi3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0xGvdyLGPqc4o25nMUKSggAbt5RpOz2NOtWNp1NsM2Fd4N3Do07vh490lICmx1chmZQVfM61Ir_F3hWKL-ApL-0EwimTIj8TDrhHoj_HeiIGX_nDReP_aB5s0dqAFy-LOaCFZMSGo0x7/s320/lbi3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530544421069449794" /></a> Of the 3 races I've run on LBI this was the slowest and I felt absolutely wrecked. I was flat backed for at least 10 minutes and was shoveling anything I could get my hands on into my mouth (oranges, potato chips, birch beer, gatorade) On top of it all I had to get in my car and drive to Toms River to train a client. Luckily I snapped out of it pretty quickly and by the time I arrived in Toms River I was feeling pretty good. My stomach was hurting but that was because of all the crap I ate when I finished.<br /><br />The next day when I woke up I decided to enter the Atlantic City Marathon. The question many asked was why and the answers are to follow in my next update coming shortly.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-54211329711641515502010-10-03T19:31:00.004-04:002010-10-04T20:43:42.559-04:00LBI 18 Mile RunIt's almost time to run the LBI 18 Mile run and this years build up has taken a completely different path then the previous two years. The first year, the goal was to finish and see if I'd be interested in running a marathon (I think I finished 9th in 2008). In 2009, I new a was running a marathon and used the race as a check point in my build up. I finished 5th but neglected to pick up my chip the morning of because I already had my number. My last mile was in 5:30, one minute faster than what I started at. Two days later I couldn't run without being in pain and had to take a month and a half off. All of which led to a sub par 2:59 debut 26.2. This year's build up has been filled with lots of strength training, improved nutrition, faster more intense running and more efficient running mechanics. Since June I have been adding more and more <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/">CrossFit</a> and <a href="http://www.crossfitendurance.com/">CrossFit Endurance </a>programing to my training to see if my racing would improve. In june I ran a 5k in 17:30 last week I closed out a 90 minute run with <a href="http://jerseyrunner.wordpress.com/">Craig Segal</a> in 5:47, 5:37, 5:31. Yesterday I ran a 2.6 mile TT and averaged 5:20. What will this all mean on Sunday October 10, 2010? Beats me, I'm still not sure if I'm going to try to go out and kill it as I may have another surprise planned for the following Sunday. Regardless I'm going to go out and enjoy it. Here's a look at what I'll been doing since the CFE certification at <a href="http://www.crossfitmorristown.com/">CrossFit Morristown</a> There are a few days missing here and there. Some of the days missing have either been Tabata Sprints or 2 x 1200 hill runs @ Hartshorne. <br /><br />September 13, 2010 <br />A.M. WOD : 10 x 1:1 @ Boro Track, light jog, active warm up, form drills followed with 4 x 100 meter sprint w. full recovery.<br />P.M. Overhead Squat work. 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, warm up sets starting very light. 5 - 3 - 2 - 1 maxing out at 105.<br /><br />September 14, 2010<br />10 : 30 second hill sprint w. 90 second recovery @ Hartshorne Woods w. 90 seconds recovery. Tried to run as fast as possible while maintaining proper running mechanics. Easy mile cool down, 4 x 30 walking lunge <br /><br />September 15, 2010 <br />A.M. WOD : 1:1, :45, 1:00, 1:30, 3:00, 6:00, 3:00, 1:30, 1:00, 45<br />P.M. S&C WOD : Every minute on the minute for 8 minutes 3 : push press. Rest 3 minutes, then every minute on the minute for 8 minutes, 5 x DB swing (no KB) #50, 5 x squat w DB, 5 clapping push ups.<br /><br />September 16, 2010<br />A.M. WOD : 2 x 5:00 w. 2:00 rest, 5 x 1:00 w. :30 rest. Ran on the roads and had no problem with my feet. Focused on keeping my feet under my general center of mass.<br />P.M. S&C WOD : 5 x 5, Squat Clean #95, Bench 135<br /><br />September 17, 2010<br />Awesome trip to the dentist for 3 fillings!!! No training <br /><br />September 18, 2010<br />6 x 800 w. 90 seconds recovery : 2:28, 2:25, 2:26, 2:29, 2:32, 2:29 - Warm up easy mile jog, active movements, 4 x 100 meter sprint w. full recovery. Cool down easy mile.<br /><br />September 19, 2010<br />40 minute TT<br /><br />September 20, 2010<br />7 Rounds<br />7 Squat Clean Thruster #95<br />7 Chest to Bar Pull Ups<br />rest 5 minutes<br />12 minutes AMRAP - 6 rounds 3 Power Cleans<br />8 Hang Power Cleans<br />8 Wall Ball Shots<br />8 Knee to Elbow<br /><br />September 24, 2010<br />100 Pull ups<br />100 Lunges<br />100 Burpees<br />100 Squats<br />100 Push ups<br />100 Sit ups<br />100 Double Unders<br />30:31<br /> <br />September 25, 2010<br />Rest Day - Six Flags!!!<br /><br />September 27, 2010<br />WOD : CrossFit/USAW Triplet<br />10 Minutes AMRAP<br />6 x Squat Clean #80<br />12 x Chest to bar pull ups<br />24 Double Unders<br />5 rounds 12 pull ups<br /><br />September 28, 2010<br />A.M. S&C WOD @ CF Morristown<br />7 rounds for time<br />14 x roll outs<br />5 x thruster<br />finished in 8 minutes give or take, didn't have my glasses on and never bothered to check the clock.<br /><br />P.M. 1 :1 - 3 : 3, Covered 970 meters on each 3 minute interval. <br /><br />September 29, 2010<br />A.M. WOD : 90 minute run in Holmdel closed the last three miles in 5:47, 5:37.5:31<br />P.M. Oly seminar @ CF Morristown. First ever Snatch with weight! Also, spent most of the day in the dentist chair having my implants put in finally! <br /><br />September 30, 2010<br />2 x 1200 hill run with full recovery @ Hartshorne Woods. Mouth was sore from yesterday's 4 hour dentist ordeal but at least I can smile now!<br /><br />October 1, 2010<br />5 x 2 Shoulder Press w. 2:00 rest<br />5 x 3 Front Squat w. 2:00 rest<br /><br />10 Rounds for time<br />Dead Lift #135 x 15<br />Push ups/hands up x 15<br />20:31<br /><br />October 2, 2010<br />A.M. WOD: Muscle up and Double Under practice. Double Unders are harder with RX Rope. <br />P.M. WOD 1:1 - 12 x 1:00 w. 1:00 rest @ Holmdel Park, felt good running fast on the hills.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorAuOEU9WU-6oVNSVINFgrHdAV2ovvjkwls08WBUiLOLx2V2Ib_YXImLqv8a5QuNiN4holJ5Fnv_t9MhkuWJS-MqM9509kEnx-jhB3w_2LG2Uy9QwrKEW78KmC5EW6tn7-sPZBap9qxcm/s1600/hptheplacetobe.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorAuOEU9WU-6oVNSVINFgrHdAV2ovvjkwls08WBUiLOLx2V2Ib_YXImLqv8a5QuNiN4holJ5Fnv_t9MhkuWJS-MqM9509kEnx-jhB3w_2LG2Uy9QwrKEW78KmC5EW6tn7-sPZBap9qxcm/s320/hptheplacetobe.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523999904748165794" /></a><br /><br />October 4, 2010<br />A.M. WOD : 4 x 5 minutes w. 3 minutes rest in the wind and rain. Felt pretty good considering the conditions. I hate running in the rain.<br /><br />P.M. WOD: Tried to complete the Rx CFE WOD but after 5 x 15 knees to elbows w. :20 rest the 5 x 20 chest to bar pull ups was all but impossible. Bagged the pull ups rested a bit then did 5 x 25 med ball slams w. :20 rest. I almost knocked out my new grill when I grabbed the wrong MB to slam and took the first slam in the face.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-35847821016564023432010-09-21T10:16:00.007-04:002010-09-24T12:22:15.550-04:00CFE Certification<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ot0uBKDnN43Ave7PJXYDjHX65Q2wJewr7GPw0X2kzLAyxFdu_hYMZQInbHpSLlujMV0OuhVhsVkyi_yN84RbT6fatbDpFKINxb61d7kOqnCGr4hKU3N3HWFlX1sZnssNkJw367Ipp99F/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ot0uBKDnN43Ave7PJXYDjHX65Q2wJewr7GPw0X2kzLAyxFdu_hYMZQInbHpSLlujMV0OuhVhsVkyi_yN84RbT6fatbDpFKINxb61d7kOqnCGr4hKU3N3HWFlX1sZnssNkJw367Ipp99F/s320/IMG_0240.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519376997736561378" /></a>On Saturday September 11, I traveled up to CrossFit Morristown, to attend a two day CrossFit Endurance certification course. Before the weekend started I had a few specific goals that I wanted to accomplish in order consider the weekend a success. First and foremost I wanted fix my form and the form of my clients and athlete. The other was to gain a better understanding of the CFE programing. CrossFit Morristown is a great box with a great team of coaches and immediately I felt welcome and at home. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z8uP4Vbtey9ruske2yYeAjoePQJfz9UTLdMS2RCU4BMeu3Q3St94blb1YD9ljXFSFNxcHRTxlfqj-nThXFyEMsT1dPM9MagKGQ7Qd2sRPXnusFm47rolDtYn78rCUziF-Gj8U-QUaGPL/s1600/IMG_0233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z8uP4Vbtey9ruske2yYeAjoePQJfz9UTLdMS2RCU4BMeu3Q3St94blb1YD9ljXFSFNxcHRTxlfqj-nThXFyEMsT1dPM9MagKGQ7Qd2sRPXnusFm47rolDtYn78rCUziF-Gj8U-QUaGPL/s320/IMG_0233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520515589228211794" /></a>At 9:00 we started our course and we met our instructor <a href="http://gotrimax.com/TriMaxAboutUs.htm">Max Wunderle </a>and he informed us that <a href="http://nycendurance.com">Brian Harkins</a> would be joining us the following day to help with the certification. Right off the bat we got right into running mechanics and started with our initial form analysis. As I suspected, over striding was the root of all my running problems. We spent the next few hour working on drills to fix our form. At first I had a difficult time getting some of the drills as many of them go against many of the concepts I've been practicing for years. The more I relaxed the more the drills starting to click and now after a week of practice I seemed to have fixed my foot problems. I certainly have to concentrate a lot more now while running but a least it keeps my mind off the discomfort I'm feeling from the workout. Finally at the end of the first day we did the WOD(Workout of the Day) "Death by 10 meters." What that meant was every minute on the minute we would run 10 meters and the remainder of the minute would be your rest period. Each additional minute we were to add 10 meters. Each round that you add 10 meters you lose a few ticks off your rest period. In the end you eventually run out time before you complete the round. Max had suggested that we not kill the early rounds, in order to make it through as long as possible. Early on the rounds were pretty easy and I was able to focus on my new and improved running form. After the 10th round I started to realize why this workout was called "death by 10 meters" and the death part started to kick in. Max had informed us before we started the longest he had ever seen anyone go was 23 minutes and that was by <a href="http://www.albanycrossfit.com/">Austin Malleolo </a>, how close am I to a CF games competitor, I wondered. Lungs and legs were burning like never before but thinking I was in the lead I backed off the gas and and didn't make it to the 19th minute. When I realized there was still one guy going I was pissed that I hadn't given it everything that I had. Note to self never let up!!! Although it only lasted 18 minutes it was one hell of a WOD. After day 1 I stuck around for a bit and chatted with some of the other athletes and trainers who were attending the certification. I also noticed that they were having an Olympic Lifting seminar at CrossFit Morristown and decided to sign up. I'm looking forward the 29th.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcNV7oVF5PPC6Buu1VUSJmxQCKW6bQZVOx5LLMmU2N4_HoVEDoQANc9oka_TY5LQQI1YF6Uyy7fT7fCUsf9YmBkIM2KQ2pl0-gYVIyPFYcvPE2gyPcJk_cugQS-I2_PqEJ4L3FAm6F6H8/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcNV7oVF5PPC6Buu1VUSJmxQCKW6bQZVOx5LLMmU2N4_HoVEDoQANc9oka_TY5LQQI1YF6Uyy7fT7fCUsf9YmBkIM2KQ2pl0-gYVIyPFYcvPE2gyPcJk_cugQS-I2_PqEJ4L3FAm6F6H8/s320/IMG_0232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520514670795752386" /></a><br />On Day 2 I headed up early to CF Morristown and was lucky enough to get in a WOD, my third ever WOD in an Affiliate. My first two coming at <a href="http://www.crossfitreston.com/">CrossFit Reston</a>, when I did my Level I certification. The majority of my WOD's taking place in my backyard or at RBR. It's my hope to one day open my own Affiliate so it's great to see how top notch facilities look and operate. With that being said I decided to stick with the CFE strength and conditioning WOD of 16 minutes AMRAP, 8 Dead Lifts @ #155, 8 chest to bar pull ups, 8 burpees. When I read the Rx I figured I'd have no problem doing 8 DL @ 155 but as usual I was wrong. After 6 rounds I looked at my timer and I still had almost 10 minutes to go I knew the DL's were going to kill me. Pull ups and burpees I have all day, throw a little weight lifting in a watch me squirm. Some where after 10 rounds I stopped counting and just focused keeping my body in motion. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLesGavC_WRREd42neYLgtyGlfqBp475prrmKcbVDBz7BcnvlMt2PuyJa4KJ0I1DHRYI_oCjYquOwd3tVt9w7yT-8GrWBHXxpVwOG-WKz2RZT2YtQ6HvWWM4x-3qtv42qgby4wKn1v-xze/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLesGavC_WRREd42neYLgtyGlfqBp475prrmKcbVDBz7BcnvlMt2PuyJa4KJ0I1DHRYI_oCjYquOwd3tVt9w7yT-8GrWBHXxpVwOG-WKz2RZT2YtQ6HvWWM4x-3qtv42qgby4wKn1v-xze/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520514984134215490" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.crossfitmorristown.com/page/index.php?menu=about&page=coaches"> Karianne Dickson</a>, head coach of CF Morristown gave me some help on my DL form mid workout as she cued me to move my feet closer and to stick my chest out more. Having coaches around is a big help and especially when it comes to weight lifting, where poor technique can lead to injury. As I finished up, Max and Brian were starting to set up for day 2 so I cleaned up and got ready for more CFE goodness. As we headed outside for drills and filming it started to rain and within 10 minutes of being outside it was pouring out. In order to avoid the rain we headed to the parking garage next store. Unfortunately the parking garage didn't offer much room to really accomplish what we needed to do. In any case we made the best of it, got our filming down and headed back inside. After a quick lunch break we spent some time talking about the programing of workouts. Max even got into programing for high school cross country and track & field teams. My biggest concern when it comes to programing is when to know enough is enough. I will continue to use myself as a guinea pig and look forward to some up coming races to test my fitness under these new training methods. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD-kffNr8fhtwIuTjnTCN3vipDw7BE6cxUEYUW-jjUDTjG3DXlE9z7aXn97sFE3DH5dhFtOACxD16ajWoYDCzdYTCKD9RQMZ0ywPo4iouL7ZES3LL6mdWUQ5vAKd4oD18lFuO1C1pg-7u/s1600/IMG_0235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxD-kffNr8fhtwIuTjnTCN3vipDw7BE6cxUEYUW-jjUDTjG3DXlE9z7aXn97sFE3DH5dhFtOACxD16ajWoYDCzdYTCKD9RQMZ0ywPo4iouL7ZES3LL6mdWUQ5vAKd4oD18lFuO1C1pg-7u/s320/IMG_0235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520516052279430370" /></a> <br /><br />All in all it was a great weekend of learning and I've already started to notice an improvement in my form as well as drops in times during my interval training.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-31576935399786584852010-09-10T08:30:00.005-04:002010-09-13T10:50:31.086-04:009/8 - 9/10 Workouts9/8 : Hills, hills and more hills. Wednesday's workout called for 2 x 1200 uphill then 2 x 300 uphill and that means Hartshorne Woods. The one bright spot was that I didn't have to run hills weighted. I was a little pressed for time and cheated the warm up at little and left out the form drills. In retrospect I had plenty of time, I really just didn't feel like running back to the parking lot and the footing at the base of the hill isn't the place I want to be working on my form. The 1200's are only hard the last 300 and the 300 are hard because your running at least a 12-13% grade. After each interval I gave myself 1 minute recovery before a made my way back down the hill. After the hills and cool down I spent some time in the parking lot doing some general strength (air squats, walking lunges and lateral squat walks). From Hartshorne I headed over to Thompson Park to meet with one of my clients and then off to practice with my xc team. After practice I did my strength workout at RBR, 40 x squat clean thrusters w. 95 lbs. Tough strength work but I'm committed to improving my lifts even if that means being extremely uncomfortable. Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLtz4w7_83TljSQ_6ue5PyWOvqs5x3cQKB-MLrAcXWX2-rSIAUxpyAr0O4YZxiTwBP0dgOzdXzXXT3m7AxlbRXAlzODUT6NEgYA9g-n_0dg9soN2QAMBbAG6w-jXCHjW7pVcaGjQR3xj4/s1600/hartshorne.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLtz4w7_83TljSQ_6ue5PyWOvqs5x3cQKB-MLrAcXWX2-rSIAUxpyAr0O4YZxiTwBP0dgOzdXzXXT3m7AxlbRXAlzODUT6NEgYA9g-n_0dg9soN2QAMBbAG6w-jXCHjW7pVcaGjQR3xj4/s320/hartshorne.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515267147160995282" /></a><br /><br />9/9's workout only called for strength training, consisting of 3 x 3 front squat w. 2 minutes recovery between set. After my third set I took 5 minutes recovery before I started 4 rounds for time of 10 x 55 lb dumb bell swings, 25 double unders. My double unders are getting better but still need to work on my technique in order to do them unbroken. It was a solid effort and I feel like I'm making gains in strength.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_Twse9y4QSkeKHfwqQGR8efZ4SdF51nPVcmlAV_fYSX9Psyxla6xDFh5cQsNydTboj8dCsIo0Z_zbrhKQntmYKyidt5DcoCFCXNo5i3ihU2P6tL1uLl9k65UkfcAuwhAKhd9IZPWoLVn/s1600/weightroom.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_Twse9y4QSkeKHfwqQGR8efZ4SdF51nPVcmlAV_fYSX9Psyxla6xDFh5cQsNydTboj8dCsIo0Z_zbrhKQntmYKyidt5DcoCFCXNo5i3ihU2P6tL1uLl9k65UkfcAuwhAKhd9IZPWoLVn/s320/weightroom.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516410160145896226" /></a><br /><br />9/10's focus was on long intervals of 4 x 10 minutes w. 2 minutes recovery. I've never been a fan of long interval, mainly because they hurt and hurt for a long time. Before I started I knew there was a good chance I was going to have some problems and sure enough my foot was smoking half way through the first interval. My foot problem is definitely caused by my over striding, good news is with a little work and a little concentration I can fix this problem. Unfortunately my foot wasn't the only discomfort I experienced during the workout. It's definitely a gut check for me when I do long interval but I've come a long way since my early running days but at the same time if you're not thinking about quitting you're probably not going hard enough.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-61260296356780115042010-09-08T06:37:00.003-04:002010-09-08T06:59:02.920-04:00Weekend WorkoutsHere's what my training has looked like for the last few days. Again I've been trying to stick to the prescribed workouts of Crossfit and Crossfit Endurance as much as possible. On Friday I did one of the bench mark Crossfit WOD's called "Linda" aka three bars of death. The workout calls for dead lift, bench press, and squat cleans completing sets of 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 with no rest between sets. The prescribed weight is 1.5 body weight for the DL, body weight for bench and .75 body weight for the squat cleans. Since I'm still a relative newcomer to many of these lifts moving the prescribed weight can be a little difficult so I scaled the weight to 185 DL, 125 Bench, and 80 SC. Even with the scaled weights this WOD presented a challenge and took 27:47 to complete. <br /><br />When I got up Saturday morning I could barely move from my Friday evening date with "Linda" and I found out that I had muscles in places I never knew. Shaking off the morning stiffness I headed up to Monmouth University to get in a workout before meeting with one of my athletes for their training session. 10 x 100 w. 90 seconds rest was the workout. The main goal was to run as fast as possible while staying as efficient as possible. Even with the focus on my mechanics I still managed to beat up my foot pretty good. I'm starting to think my foot problem comes from over striding. I'm going to figure this running stuff out some day. After I finished up my workout I headed out for my training session with on of my athletes, <a href="http://jerseyrunner.wordpress.com/">Craig Segal</a> as he makes his final preparations for the Chicago Marathon in early October. Craig ran an 18 mile marathon simulation while I rode my bike to hand off, water, gatorade, & gels along the way. All I can say is Craig is fit and ready to run a great race in just about a months time. <br /><br />Sunday workout out called for 4 DL's @ 70% of my 1 max rep, every minute on the minute for 8 minutes. Since I'm not really sure what my 1 max rep is I figured I could pull 250 from the floor once and decided to go with 175. After 8 minutes I took 5 minutes recovery then hit the C2 rower for 10 minutes. Unfortunately the rower I have access to has a broken computer so I just set my watch and pull. after the row I took 3 minutes recovery then did 2 minutes max rep push ups. All in all it was a great session considering I was still sore from "Linda" on Friday.<br /><br />Is there any better way to start off your Labor Day then with a workout with your cross country team at Holmdel Park!?! Knowing that I have such a young group with the majority having never run at HP, I decided to keep the workout short and manageable. After 20 minutes of active warm up, I split the guys up into small groups and sent them on their way. 1 on 1 off, through 5k was their workout and the guys killed it. After our run we did a mini body weight circuit consisting of push ups, squats and burpees in sets of 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 with 60 seconds rest through 6 and 30 seconds rest from 5 - 1 . from Holmdel I headed of to meet with a few of my clients for their Monday sessions. I love when people don't let the holidays interfere with their training schedules!!!<br />After I finished with my clients I headed home to do some overhead squat work. Still only able to move small amounts of weight overhead I focused on stabilization and moving the bar up and down as comfortably as possible. 10 x 10<br /><br />Tuesday intervals of 5 x 800 with 90 seconds rest and amazingly I had no foot problems. I started the session with a light 5 minute run then followed up with a 1600 m, active warm up and 3 x 100 meter progressive runs. I averaged 2:35 per 800 and not once did I feel like I was over extending myself. Each interval was faster then the previous finishing up at 2:32. After walking a lap I cooled down with an easy 1600 m run.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-51537806626417381302010-09-03T05:51:00.003-04:002010-09-03T07:12:08.800-04:009/2 : WorkoutWhen will the heat end?!?! I think at this point I may be over it. No I know I'm over it. At 6:30 am. I headed over to the <a href="http://www.brickmua.com/">Brick Reservoir </a> for my interval work. Today's plan was to run timed segment intervals of 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes all with 2 minutes recovery and the goal was to cover as much distance as possible. I started off with a light jog of 5 minutes and from the first step I could immediately feel the effect of yesterday's heavy lifts. Having heavy legs is no way to start a workout but you have to do what you have to do, so that's what I did. After about 10 minutes of form drills and strides I set out on my first interval. The first interval was a little faster then I would have liked it to be but a little nervous energy will do that. As the pace picked up so did the discomfort of the hot spot on my right foot which is usually an indicator that I'm pushing to hard and over striding. After the first interval I reigned it in a bit and tried to run as comfortably fast as possible. For me the key to long time interval is not looking at my watch to soon. There's nothing worse then running a 6 minute time segment and checking your watch every 30 seconds. For each interval I was able to make it to the last minute before I checked my watch. I'm amazed at how much will power it takes to resist the temptation of checking your watch to early but for me it really makes a huge difference. After getting over the hump of the 6 minute segment I reminded myself that I only had 9 minutes of hard running remanning and that I've done that plenty of times before. Fatigue started to set in a bit toward the end but I managed to run a consistent workout and left the reservoir pleased with the work I had just completed. Unfortunately due to some time constraints I was unable to get my strength session in today.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-1760893324821273642010-09-01T15:20:00.000-04:002010-09-01T15:21:28.895-04:00Olympic Lift : 9/1I can't believe it's September already!?! One of my main goals this year was to start incorporating more olympic lifting into my training. Little by little since obtaining my Crossfit Level I certification I've become more and more comfortable with the movements of the olympic lifts. My main concern first and foremost is the movements, the weight is secondary. Today's plan was to focus on the clean and jerk. The workout today called for 6 C&J every minute on the minute for 10 minutes. Unfortunately because I'm still a novice at these lifts, it took me almost 1 minute to complete a set of 6 reps. After my first set I decided to scale the workout down a bit to allow me to still focus on the technique and I took 1 minute recovery after each set of 6 and went for a total of 25 minutes. I ended up completing 13 sets of 6 reps of the clean and Jerk. All in all it was a great training session and I walked away from todays session much more confident in my ability to clean and jerk. Next olympic lift that I need to work on is my snatch, and the snatch is a lift and movement the scares the hell out of me. I once read that in order to feel alive you should try to do something every day that scares you, does it count if you try to snatch everyday? <br /><br />After my last set I cleaned up my mess and headed out to meet with the RBR boys XC team for their last summer practice. School starts tomorrow and my work and training schedule will change again now that practice will move from the mornings to the afternoons. We had another great session as a team and I think things are finally starting to come together. The guys are buying into the system and it's starting to show in all aspects of their training. The goal everyday is to improve by 1% from the previous day. I love it when a plan come together! After our run we headed into the weight room to do some general strength work (bench press, push offs and dips 3 x 15) and then the guys were off to enjoy their final hours of summer vacation. <br /><br />After practice I hit my second strength session focusing on the squat. I warmed up with three light sets of 10 rep back squats. After my warm up I threw some weight on the bar for 5 x 5. My recovery after each set was the time it took to add more weight to the bar. Squatting with weight is another skill set that I hope to improve on in the next few months. The up side to this is that it is all so new, that there is only one way to go and that's up. Up in weight that is...StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843150032117253304.post-40724478371069214972010-08-31T16:42:00.002-04:002010-08-31T17:27:19.933-04:00Tuesday 8/31 workout6:30 am. I headed over to the local track to attack my schedule workout for the day. Today's workout again came from the <a href="http://www.crossfitendurance.com/">Crossfit Endurance</a> site but today I decided to combine both WOD's into one session. Again like yesterday my handy <a href="http://www.suples.com">Suples Bag </a>was used as a substitute, today it took the place of a 1.5 pood kettle bell. I also upped the bag size from 26 lbs. to 36 lbs. Push offs were subbed in for the pull ups because there is no pull up, set up at the track. I started with 15 minutes of active warm up that included various form drills mixed in with 100 meter strides picking up speed as the warm up progressed. After 15 minutes my sweat was rolling and the heart was pumping time to get after it. The first part of the workout consisted of 3 rounds of run 400 meters, 21 power snatches w/ 36 lb. Suples Bag, 12 push offs, continuos and as fast as possible. Total time for 3 rounds was 8:57, the hardest part being the 21 power snatches . I took equal time on my recovery before I started the second part of the workout, which was a Tabata sprint. Without getting to off track, Tabata intervals are 20 second periods of intense work (in my case today it happened to be a run some days it can be body squats) followed by 10 second periods of rest, done eight times. Its the most intense 4 minutes of exercise you'll ever experience. The CFE site recommend 3+ hours of recovery in between these session but because of my time constraints today I decided to do them both in one session. I am now fully aware as to why they recommend this practice. Right from the first 20 second interval I could feel how taxed my legs and knew it was going to be a painful 4 minutes. The great thing about a Tabata session is that it only takes 4 minutes and I know I can suffer for 4 minutes. After I completed my last 20 second sprint I walked 400 meters and followed that up with an easy 1600 meter jog to complete my cool down. Feeling good I headed off to meet my morning clients.<br /><br />After finishing up with my clients I had some free time so I decided I hit another quick workout. The workout consisted of 3 round of 10 burpees, 20 box jumps, 40 double unders. When the smoke had cleared and the clock was stopped, it read 9:16. All in all it was a solid day of training and I'm looking to what tomorrow has in store.StopMe Project http://www.blogger.com/profile/06975091378750434620noreply@blogger.com0